Catabrosa, 0. Stapf.] CLXXIII. GRAMINE^. (J. D. Hooker.) 311 



Stem 6-24 in., erect from the "creeping sometimes floating base, sheathed nearly 

 up to the panicle ; stolons creeping or ascending, branches long or short. Leaves 

 1-6 by -i- in., linear, obtuse, flat, subflaccid, smooth ; sheaths tight, smooth, of 

 young branches closed to near the mouth but easily split to the base ; ligule ovate or 

 truncate, hyaline. Panicle up to 8 in., open, loose, rachis smooth, lower branches 

 5-10-nate, slender, very unequal, subscaberulous, the longer 4 in., branching ; 

 lateral pedicels very short. Spikelets pale green or yellowish, rarely purple; 

 rachilla smooth; gls. very thin broad and obtuse; I about ^ in., nerveless or 1- 

 nerved ; II i in., 1- sub-3-nerved ; fl. gls. nearly -$ in., obovate to broadly oblong, 

 truncate, shortly hairy below ; palea broad, very obtuse, keels hairy below. Lodicules 

 obliquely ovate. Anthers^ in. Grain J^ in., oblong, subacute at both ends or 

 top rounded, laterally subcompressed, hilum punctiform. I have seen no Indian 

 specimens, but am informed by Mr. Duthie that his was named by Hackel. 



Var. augus/a, Stapf; dwarf, tufted, with or without stolons, panic-le narrow 

 contracted, branches very short, gls. I and II nerveless or nearly so, flg. gls. T y- 

 -Jj- in. C. aquation, Duthie Grass. N.W. Ind. 36. Western Tibet; Laimk Pass, 

 alt. 15-16,000 ft., Thomson. 



2. C. sikkimensis, Stapf; stem short, stolons long, leaves ^-1 in., 

 panicle 1^- in. narrow loose, branches 2-nate subsimple, spikelets y^ in. 

 2-fld., gl. 1 minute, flg. gls. 5-nerved, nerves ending below the hyaline 

 margin, lateral rather strong. 



ALPINE SIKKIM ; alt. 17,000 ft, Gammie. 



Stem up to 6 in., prostrate or ascending; stolons with short fascicles of few short 

 complicate leaves. Spikelets dark purple, variegated with yellow ; gl. I up to -^ in. 

 nerveless, broadly ovate to oblong, II up to -^ in., broader, sub-1-nerved ; flg. gls. 

 Try iu., truncate, erose, glabrous ; palea broad, very obtuse, keels smooth. The 

 specimens are very scanty, and have all the appearance of being reduced forms, 

 growing on wet soil on the upper limits of vegetation. Specimens from a lower 

 altitude may require modification of the above characters. 



2. COLPODIUM, Trin. (Gen.). Empty gls. 1-3-nerved; flg. gls. 5-3- 

 nerved, nerves faint, lateral short, intermediate often suppressed or 

 represented by a single spiral vessel. 



* Empty gls. about ha/fas long as the Jiff. 



3. C. himalaica, Stapf; panicle erect spiciform dense-fld., spikelets 

 YQ- in. 1-2-fld. Colpodium subspicatum, Hack. mss. Phippsia hima- 

 laica, Hook.f. ante, p. 240. Vilfa, sp. 2, Herb. Strachey & Winterb. 



From Kashmir to Kumaon, alt. 13-14,500 ft. 



Stems 3-8 in., tufted, erect, smooth, nodes 1-2. Leaves complicate or the 

 cauline flat ; sheaths tight, closed almost to the month ; ligule vt-ry short. Panicle 

 continuous or interrupted ; rachis and branches smooth. Spikelets obovo'ld to oblong, 

 rachilla glabrous; gls. very thin, nerves obscure; I very shortly 1-nerved; II with 

 short obscure side-nerves ; III with very short obscure side-nerves, keel and nerves 

 shortly hairy; keels of palea ciliate. Lodicules connate at the base. Grain elliptic- 

 oblong, compressed. For further description see p. 210. Duthie's n. 12,160 has 

 more acute empty glumes with sometimes erose margins, but does not otherwise 

 differ. 



4. C. Thomson!, Hook. f. ; panicle erect open lax-fld., spikelets 

 i_i i n . 2-4-fld. 



WESTERN TIBET ; Nubra Valley, alt. 10-11,000 ft., Thomson. 

 Stems 46 in., tufted, very slender, erect, smooth, nodes 35. Leaves ^-1^ 'DM 

 linear, acute, flat, few-nerved; sheaths closed to yjj g- in, of the mouth, thin, tight ; 



