PLATE 474. 



PANICUM MILIARE, Lam. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 408). 

 Nat. Order Gramineae. 



ANNUAL. CULMS erect or geniculate, 1 to 3 feet long, glabrous, 3 to 5-noded, 

 usually with flowering branches from some of the nodes. 



LEAVES glabrous, very rarely more or less hirsute with tubei'cle-based hairs ; 

 sheaths loose, strongly striate, smooth, longer or shorter than the internodes ; 

 ligules very short, truncate, ciliolate ; blades linear from a usually broader and 

 rounded base, tapering to an acute point, J to almost 2 feet, by 2 to 7 lines, flat, 

 flaccid. 



PANICLE erect or nodding, contracted, narrow, decompound, lax or dense, J to 

 1 foot long ; axis slender, striate, smooth ; branches alternate, 2 or 3-nate, the 

 lower rather distant, filiform, angular, scaberulous, the longest 2^ to more than 6 

 inches long, undivided for |- to 2j inches, often nodding, branchlets and pedicels 

 contracted, the latter very unequal, very short or up to inch long, scabrid, tips 

 slightly thickened. 



SPIKELETS subturgid, ellipsoid or oblong, more or less acute, l to If line 

 long, glabrous, green or purplish. 



GLUMES, lower very broadly ovate, clasping, acute or subacuminate, J to almost 

 4 the length of the spikelet, about 3-nerved ; ujtper oblong, subacuminate, very 

 concave; 1^ to if line long, 11 to 13-nerved. Lower floret barren, valve like the 

 upper glume, but 9-nerved ; pale subequal, narrow, 2-keeled. Perfect florets oblong, 

 acute, 1 line long, smooth, shining, pallid or brownish ; valve coriaceous, 7-nerved, 

 anthers line long. 



H&bit&t : NATAL. Between Umzimkulu and Umkomanzi Rivers, Dreije. 



Commonly cultivated all over India, and possibly originated from P. px/lopixlium, 

 Trin., an equally common Indian grass. 



Drawn from a specimen kindly lent by the Director of the Royal Gardens at 

 Kew. The specimen was gathered in South Concan by Mr. Law. 



Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, fertile valve ; 6, pale ; 

 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All eiilan/ed. 



