Eriochloa.] CLXXIII. GEA.MINE.E. (J. D. Hooker.) 21 



orixense, Roxb. Ic. ined. n. 818. M. ramosam, Betz. Obs. vi. 22 ; Roxb. Fl. 

 Ind. i. 316 ; G-riff. Notul. iii. 15, *lc. PI. Asiat.'t. 139, f. 60. Piptatherum 

 punctatnm, Beauv. Agrost. 18, t. 5, f. 1. P. confine, Schult. Mant. ii. 184 

 (ex Kunth). P. annulatum, Raddi Agrost. Bras. 30. Agrostis punctata, 

 Lamk. Encycl. i. 58. CEdipachne punctata, Link Enum. Hort. Berol. i. 

 ol. 



PLAINS OF INDIA; from the Punjab to Bengal, Burma, Central India, and 

 southward to Malacca and CEYLON. DISTRIB. All hot countries. 



Steins 1-5 ft., ascending from a creeping base. Leaves 3-LO by - in., glabrous or 

 hairy, lurnle very short. Spikes forming a narrow secaml compound panicle 2-6 in, 

 long ; rachis trigonous and branches pubescent villous or nearly glabrous. Spikelets 

 shortly pedicelled ; gl. I and II usually silky, sometimes villous, III much shortest, 

 punctulate, very shortly avvned. 



3. ISASHNEi Br. 



Perennial grasses. Spikelets small or minute, loosely panicled, not or 

 obscurely articulate with the pedicel, subglobose or obovoid, 1-2-fM. 

 Glumes 4, often all separately deciduous from a minute rashilla ; I and II 

 subequal, convex, herbaceous, empty ; III and IV pale ite, equal and both 

 convex, or III larger flatter thinner; III male, rarely 2-sexual ; IV articu- 

 late and often stipitate on the rachilla, hemispheric, coriaceous, fern, or 

 bisexual. Lodicules very minute. Stamens 3, rarely 4-6. Grain free 

 within the hardened gl. and pale. Species about 25, tropical and sub- 

 tropical. 



The 2-fld. spikelets not articulate on the pedicel, with usually subequal convex 

 empty gls., and gl. IV being articulate on the rachilla, distinguish Isaahne from 

 fani'cum. I find great varieties in the persistence of the emptv glume on the 

 pedicel. Mr. Rendle informs me that he has seen traces of a fifth glume and palea 

 in I. australis, which favours the claim of the genus to be referred to Poacece ; and 

 he has shown me a most minute prolongation of the rachilla at the base of the 

 palea of gl. IV in the same species. Many of the species so run into their allies, 

 that I regard the following limitation of most as open to question. The smooth 

 hispid or bristly empty gls. affords no specific character, nor does the glabrous or 

 pubescent fl. gl. 



* Spikelets aV~iV ^ 



t Glumes I and II longer than IV, cuspidate or acuminate. 



1. I. K.unthiana, Wight fy Arn. in Wight Cat. n. 1659 ; Thw. Enum. 

 PL Zeyl. 362 ; stem 6-10 in. more or less hairy, leaves ovate or ovate- 

 oblong, panicle 2-2| in., branches few, gl. I and II subacute or snbcuspidate 

 7-9-nerved. Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 460 ; Trim. Cat. Ceyl. PI. 104. I. 

 dispar, Herb. Wight. I. Metzii, Hochst. in Hohen. PI. Ind. Or. n. 1276. 

 T. Neesiana, Am. ex Steud. Syn Gram. 96. Panicum cuspidiglume, ' Steud. 

 Kunthianum, Wi',lit & Arn. & Metzii, Hochst. ex Steud. l.o 96, 95. P. obli- 

 quum, Jlforitz. ex Miq. I.e., Steud. 1. c. P. Burmauni, et P. marp-inatum, 

 var. Ileyne ex Wall. Cat. n. 8734, A. 



NILGHIRI and TRAVANCOEE HILLS, alt. 6-SOOO ft., Ileyne, &c. SINGAPORE, 

 Ridley. CEYLON; in elevated districts. DISTRIB. Java, Borneo. 



Stem ascending, geniculate, branched. Leases ^-2^ in., striate, spreading, 

 smooth or scaberulous above, base cordate, midrib and nerves obscure ; ligule of 

 hairs. Panicle 2-2$ in. ; branches short, rather stout, at length horizontal, pubes- 

 cent or glabrous, fyikelets jV-TT in,, very shortly pedicelled ; gl. I and II smooth 



