CXLIT. ORAMINEiE. 44,3 



tlie fertile and male spikclets coriaceous, hardenini^, with 

 scarcely obvious, immersed nerves ; in the neuter spikelets 

 membranous, nerved. Floweriiij^ glumes tliiuly membranous, 

 ciliate ; the lower neuter; the upper fertile, with a short, 

 twisted awn, or awnless ; palea small, narrow. Scales fimbri- 

 ate. G-rain thick, short, hard, closely wrapped in the hardened 

 glume and palea. — Nees, I.e. p. 85. 



Tall, strong, broad-leaved grasses, with villous or pubescent glumes. 

 Grain used for food in India.— 2 Cape species. 



27. CHRYSOPOGON, Trin. 

 Spikelets bearded at the base in threes at tlie ends of the 

 branches of an erect panicle, central one sessile, hermaphro- 

 dite ; 2 lateral ones pedicellate and male. Outer glumes 2 ; 

 in the fertile spikelet the lower is 4-nerved, blunt or short- 

 pointed, the inner decidedly keeled and long-pointed ; lowest 

 flowering glumes neuter, hyaline ; upper fertile, long-awned, 

 palea wanting; in the pedicellate spikelets both glumes are 

 pointed, awnless, and without palea ; one flower male, the other 

 neuter. G-rain small, oblong. — Trin. Fund. p. 188 ; Icon. p. 

 331 ; Bentli. I. c. p. 424. 



Erect, 1-2 feet high in Cape species, leaves fringed, somewhat waved.— 1 

 Cape species, found near the Garicp by Eureliell. 



28. AK-THISTIRIA, Linn. 



Spikelets heterogamous, in simple or 2-3-fid tufts, several 

 sessile awnless male or neuter spikelets surrounding a siugle 

 awned fertile sessile spikelet, and 2 male or neuter pedicel led 

 ones. Structure of the fertile spikelets similar to that of 

 Andropofjon. G-rain free, enclosed in the hardened glumes. — 

 Nees, I.e. p. 120. 



Grasses resembling Andropogon, diil'eriug in inflorescence. — 4 Cape spe- 

 cies ; A. ciliata is common. 



SUBTEIBE 4. MATADEiE. 



29. COIX, Linn. 



Spikelets monoecious. Males above spiked in throes at the 

 joints, 1 pedicelled and 2 sessile, all with 2 flowers ; fertile 

 sessile, 2-ilowered ; lowest flower neuter, u]iper female, sup- 

 ported by 2 neutral, pedicelled spikelets, which arc occasionally 

 abortive, remaining enclosed in the bony involucre, through 

 the top of which the peduncle carrying the male spikelets 

 emerges. Outer glumes in male spikelets 2, about e([ual in 

 length, the lower flattened and winged on the margins, the 

 upper keeled. Flowering glumes and palea* membranous and 



