324 CLXXIII. GRAMINEJE. (J. D. Hooker.) [Erqgrostis, 0. Stapf. 



22. E. nigra, Nees ex Steud. Norn. Ed. II. i. 563, Syn. Gram. 267 ; 

 perennial, basal sheaths narrow terete or obscurely compressed, panicle 

 oblong to ovate large open lax-fld., branches usually many in whorls or 

 fascicles rarely solitary or geminate, spikelets up to % in. linear to oblong 

 3-9-fld., empty gls. subequal acuminate strongly 1-nerved, fig. gls. ovate 

 acute, palea obtuse denticulate persistent, grain short truncate at both 

 ends. Griseb. in Qoett. Nachr. (1868) 75; Duthie Grass. N.W. Ind.38. 

 E. atropurpnrea, Hochst. ex titeud. Syn. Gram. 267. E. amabil'.s, Willd. 

 non Linn, ev, Ham. in Wall. Gat. n. 3842. E. pauiculata, Thwaites Enum. 

 PI Zeyl. 373 (non Steud.}. Bragrostis, Wall. Gat. n. 3834, 3835, 3842, 

 3346. 



Temp, and trop. HIMALAYA, -ascending to 9000 ft. from Simla to Sikkim and the 

 KHASIA HILLS, and southward throughout the DECCAN PENINSULA. CEYLON, 

 Thwaites (C.P. n. 2626). 



Stem 6 in.-3 ft., erect, stout or slender, usually stout and leafy at the base, 

 simple or branched. Leaves in small forms chiefly basal and flat, in taller elongate ; 

 mouth of sheath bearded. Panicle up to 2 ft. long and broad, very copiously but 

 loosely branched except in small specimens, rachis glabrous at the nodes, branches 

 simple below, pedicels usually longer than the spikelets. Spikelets olive-grey ; 

 empty gls. membranous, keels scabrid ; fig. gls. T V-T i u - Stamens 3, anthers -^ in. 

 Grain -% in. or smaller, dorsally slightly grooved. Habit as variable as of E. pilosa. 



23. E. ferruginea, Beauv. Agrost. 71; perennial?, basal sheaths 

 broad compressed keeled, panicle oblong, branches solitary or 2-nate 

 filiform rather stiff, pedicels longer than the spikelets, spikelets \ in. 

 linear to ovate 3-11-fld., empty gls. unequal acute 1-nerved, rachilla 

 tough, fig. gls. ovate acute or acuminate, palea obtuse much shorter 

 than its gl. persistent keels scabrid, grain obovoid truncate at both ends. 

 Franch. & Sav. Enum. PL Jap. ii. 177; Miq. Prolus, Fl. Jap. 188. 

 E. orientals, Trin. in Runge Enum. PL Chin. Bor. 71, in Mem. Acad. 

 PetersJ). Ser. VI. iv. II. (1838) Suppl 73. Poa ferruginea, Thanh. Fl. 

 Jap. 50. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA ; Lachoong Valley, alt. 9000 ft., in meadows with E. nigra, 

 J. D. H. DISTRIB. N. China, Japan. 



Stein with the panicle in the Sikkim specimen 18 in., erect. Leaves 3-5 in., 

 narrow, or the lower broad at the base; sheath naked at the mouth. Panicle 

 4-6 in., shorter than in E. nigra, with stouter branches and fewer spikelets ; branches 

 rather wiry, bearing few dark spikelets. Spikelets dull green to violet. Gl. I about 

 i in., shorter than II ; flg. gls. T \- in. Stamens 3, anthers T \ in. or less. Grain 

 y 1 ^ in., slightly grooved or flattened dorsally. E have seen only a poor Indian specimen, 

 but it seems to be identical with the Chinese and Japanese plant. Buuge says that 

 the same plant is cultivated in Hort, Petrop. from Nepal seeds. 



B. Sect. III. DESMOSTACHYA, Stapf. Spikelets much compressed, im- 

 bricate, secuud, sessile and jointed on the very short densely crowded 

 branchlets of a tall narrow racemit'orm panicle, deciduous, acute; rachilla 

 subarticulate. 



24. E. cynosuroides, Bcauv. Agrost. 71, 162; perennial, tall, 

 branched from the base, leafy, panicle linear-elongate, branches very short 

 crowded, densely covered from the base with sessile imbricating much 

 compressed deflexed spikelets | in. long up to 30-fld., empty gls. very 

 unequal, rachilla tough, fig. gls. broadly ovate acute, palea shorter than its 

 gl. Steud. tiyn. Gram. 264 ; Wight Gat. n. 1774, ]774b. ; Trin. in Mem. 

 Acad. Petersb. Ser. VJ. i. (1831) 415 ; Dalz. fy Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 298 ; Aitchi* 



