Sporobolus.] CLXXIII. GRAMiNEjE. (J. D. Hooker.) 253 



oblong or lanceolate, II = III both ovate-lanceolate acuminate. Dalz. & 

 Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 296; Trim. Gat. Ceyl. PI. 208; Wall. Gat. n. 3764. S. 

 commutatus, KuntJi Enum. i. 214; Miq. FL Ind. Bat. iii. 376 (excl. Syn. 

 pulchellus) : Boiss. Fl. Orient, v. 513 ; Aitch. Cat. Panjab PI. 165 ; Dutkie 

 Grass. N.W. Ind. 29. S. discosporus, Nees Fl. Afr. Austr. 158. Vilfa 

 commutata, Trin. Diss. i. 156 ; Wight Cat. n. 1743. Y. coromandeliana, 

 Beauv. Agrost. 15 ; Trin. Sp. Gram. Ic. t. 11 (gl. I omitted] ; Steud. Syn. 

 Gram. 153. V. discospora, Trin. in Mem. Acad. Petersb. Ser. VI. So. Nat. 

 ii. (1841) 59. V. Eoxburghii, Nees ex Trin. I. c. V. Roxburghiana, 

 Nees ex Wight Cat. n. 1742 ; Steud. Norn. Ed. II. ii. 59. Triachyrum cor- 

 dofanum, Hochst. ex, Steud. Syn. Gram. 176. T. discosporum, Steud. I. c. 

 Agrostis cororaandeliana, Retz. Obs. iv. 19 ; Vahl Symb. i. 10; Roxb. Fl. 

 Ind. i. 316. A. indica, Forsk. FL Mg. Arab. 104. A. Rura, Hb. Ham. ex 

 Wall. I c. B. 



Plains of INDIA, from the Punjab eastward to Burma, and southward to CEYLON. 

 DISTRIB. Aflghan. N. and S. Africa. (Texas and Mexico, introd. ?). 



Stems many, 4-12 in., spreading from the root, leafy. Leaves 1-3 by i- in., 

 narrowed from the subcordate base to the finely acuminate tip, spinulosely toothed 

 especially towards the base ; mouth of sheath villous. Panicle very large for the 

 size of the plant, 2-6 by 1-i in., branches 4-6 in subsecund whorls, -2 in. long, 

 branchlets drooping 1-2-fld. Spikelets subglobose; glumes hyaline, all 1 -nerved or 

 I nerveless. Stamens 2, anthers very short. Grain obliquely oblong or subglobose.' 

 Nees Fl. Afr. Austr. refers Agrostis pulc/tella, Roth., to Sp. commutatus, as var. 

 /3. Trinianus, Arn. et Nees Glum. Ind. Or. ined., with panicle ovate and gl. I 5-6 

 times shorter than commutatus. 



Var. Collettii ; panicle narrowly pyramidal or conical 2-3 in. long by 1-1 f in. 

 across the lower branches, spikelets bright red-brown. Shan Hills, Collett. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



Vilfa rigidifolia, Trin. in Mem. Acad. Petersb. Ser. vi. Sc. Nat. v. IT. (1840) 80. 

 E. Indies, Herb. Thouars. 'Described by Trinius as having spikelets 2 (French) lines 

 long, which is twice as long as any Indian species known to me. 



72. AGROSTIS, Linn. 



Perennial, rarely annual grasses. Leaves usually flat. Spikelets small, 

 1-fld., in effuse or contracted panicles with capillary whorled branches, not 

 jointed on their pedicels ; rachilla not produced beyond gl. III. Glumes 

 3, I and II equal or unequal (sub-awned in A. subaristata), keeled, 1- 

 rarely .3-nerved ; III membranous, 5-nerved, truncate, glabrous, awn 

 dorsal or 0, callus glabrous or with few minute hairs ; palea nearly aa 

 long as its gl. or shorter or 0, 2-nerved or nerveless. Lodicules 2. Stamens 

 3, anthers long or short. Grain free within the gl. Species about 100, 

 chiefly in N. temp, regions- 



The genera Agrostis, Calamagrostis, and Deyeuxia are, as all authors agree, 

 separated by artificial characters and are not well limited by these. It therefore 

 becomes a question of expediency how to limit them, and the addition of many 

 hitherto undescribed Himalayan species has not tended to aid this operation. Many 

 authors make of Deyeuxia a section of Galamagrostis. Bentham keeps them distinct, 

 but confines Calamagrostis to species with gl. I and II longer than III. After much 

 study, I conclude that for taxonomic purposes, the most practical arrangement is to 

 confine Agrostis to species with no elongation of the rachilla, and a naked or almost 

 naked callus of gl. Ill (a character appreciated by most authors) ; to refer to 

 Calamagrostis those with a villous callus but with no elongation of the rachilla, 



