NAMES AND OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PLANTS. 553 



solete binervis marginibus inflexis. Locusta tertia pedi- 

 cello libero insidens, neutra, univalvis. — Brown MSS. 



Gramen perpulchrum, humile, stoloniferum, glabrius- 

 culum. Culmi adscendentes, monostachyi. Folia brevia, 

 rigidiuscula, plana, nunc conduplicata, obtusa, marginata, 

 vagina compressa, ligula imberbi, indivisa. — Brown. 



Obs. Ratzeburgia may be readily distinguished from all 

 the other genera of Panicece, as I have defined that extensive 

 tribe, in having at each joint of its rachis three locustae, of 

 which two are sessile, fertile, and without aristae, while the 

 third, which is merely rudimentary, consisting of a single 

 valve, is supported on a pedicel entirely distinct from the 

 rachis. 



In most of these characters, indeed, it agrees with 

 Mnesithea of Kunth {Rottbollia perforata of Roxburgh), 

 which differs, however, in having the pedicel of its third 

 still more imperfect locusta, connate at both extremities 

 with the rachis, and thus contributing to form the per- 

 forated joints so remarkable in this genus. In Mnesithea 

 M. Kunth considers the upper valve of the glume as 

 belonging to a third univalvnlar neuter flosculus — an opinion 

 which seems to be founded solely on its membranaceous 

 texture, and which, if adopted, would exclude this genus from 

 Panicece, as I have defined them, a definition which M. 

 Kunth certainly does not adopt, as he has included in his 

 tribe of Rottbolliacece several genera belonging to Poacece, 

 namely, Lepturus, Oropetium, Psilurus, and Nardus. 



According to the view here taken of the structure of the 

 two genera, Mnesithea would have nearly the same relation 

 to Ratzeburgia in its more important characters that Rott- 

 bollia has to Ischamum Rottbollioides, ' Prodr. Flor. Nov. 

 Holl./ which I have in that work suggested might form a 

 distinct genus. This genus has very recently been adopted 

 by M. Brongniart, and named Codor acids, with a character, 

 however, which, as far as regards the structure of the pedi- 

 celled locusta, is so limited as to exclude both Ischcemum 

 Rottbollioides, whose pedicelled locusta contains an her- 

 maphrodite and a neuter flower, and Rottbollia Cceloraclds 

 of Forster, in which that locusta contains two male flowers 



