ELEUSIXE, Ga>rtn. 



SMKELKTS 8-6-flowered, laterally compressed, densely imbricate, alternately 

 biseriate, unilateral, sessile on a flattened rhachis, the uppermost terminal, perfect : 

 rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between die valves, or tough, produced 

 sometimes terminating with a rudimentary valve. Florets perfect. 



GLUMES 2, subequal, persistent, obtuse or obscurely mucronate, membranous, 

 strongly keeled, 3 to 5-nerved, the lateral nerves close to the keel, the lower shorter. 

 with the keel crested. A'alves very similar, 3-nerved near the base ; lateral nerves 

 submarginal above, with 1-2 short additional nerves close to the keel. Pales slightly 

 shorter than the valves, 2-keeled, keels winged. Lodicules 2, minute, cuneate. 

 Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles slender from a broadened base, distinct : stigmas 

 plumose, laterally exserted. (irain broadly-oblong to globose, broadly grooved ; 

 pericarp loose, delicate, breaking up irregularly or almost circumscissile ; seed finely 

 striate ; embryo suborbicular, basal ; hilum punctiform, basal. 



ANNUAL on PERENNIAL ; leaves long, Hat, or folded, flaccid or firm ; spikes in 

 interrupted spikes or the upper or all in a terminal umbel, straight, suberect, spreading 

 or deflexed : spikelets glabrous. 



Species (!, in tropical Africa and Asia ; 1 widely spread through the tropics, 



PLATE 439. 



KLKI/SINE IXDICA. (ia>rtn. (Fl. Cap.. Vol. VII.. p. (M.">). 

 Xat. Order (iraminea'. 



AXXTAL. CI:LMS erect or geniculate-erect, from a few inches to '1 feel long, 

 slender or stout, compressed, 2-3-noded, glabrous, smooth. u]>per internodes exserted. 



LEAVES often numerous, crowded near the base and conspicuously distichous ; 

 sheaths compressed, pallid, glabrous except at the often ciliate margins, striate ; ligules 

 thin, membranous, short, long-fimbriate : blades linear, long, tapering to an acute 

 point \ to more than 1 foot by 1|- to 3 lines, flat or folded, sometimes flaccid, glabrous, 

 rarely sparingly hairy below, smooth. S])ikes rather slender, straight. 1 to 7 inches 

 long, sessile. '2 to 14 in a terminal umbel, usually with 1-2 (rarely to 7) additional 

 spikes | to o inches below it ; rhachis pubescent to villous at the base, otherwise 

 glabrous, smooth. 



SPIKKLETS 1 to 2 lines long, 3 to (i-Howered. disarticulating above the glumes 

 and very tardily or tough between the valves. 



(ILU.MES and valves ovate (lanceolate-oblong in profile) acute, the latter about '2 

 lines long. Anthers line long. ( < rain oblong : seed heart-shaped in cross section, 

 .', line long, dark reddish brown, obliquely striate : embryo small. 



Habitat: NATAL. Durban Flat, fi'ickaiiait 14 : 33: Berea, Wuud .V.I'.Mi : from 

 the coast to Umpumulo in neglected gardens. ]lxclin<ui IS] : without precise locality, 

 Ij'enwd (594 ; Cooper 33(51.: Mooi River, IF. T. }\'uods. 



Drawn from specimens gathered near Durban. 



Tropics of the Old World ; introduced (?) in the Xew World. 



A very common grass almost all over the Colony, frequently found near Cattle 

 Kraals, it has a strong root system, and is a nuisance amongst crops if allowed to attain 

 any size. The roots are said to be used in some countries medicinally. 



Native name u-Munyankomo. 



Fig 1, A sj)ikclet ; 2, lower "'lame' : 15, upper glume ; 4, valve ; o, valve in profile : (i, 

 palo ; 7 pistil, stametis uiid lodicules. All enlarged. 



