134 THE TRUE GRASSES. 



zone of the Old World ; one (E. Indica Gartn.) is a weed in 

 all warmer countries. E. Coracana Gartn. ("Korakan" 

 or " Dagussa ;" " Mandua" in N. India, " Marua" in 

 Bengal, "Ragi" in S. India) has thick spikes, and a 

 seed which is marked with very fine comb-like lines. It 

 is probably derived from E. Indica (see above), whose ob- 

 long seeds are marked with more distinct comb-like lines, 

 and whose spikes are more slender. " Korakan" is 

 cultivated in E. India, Sunda Islands, S. China, Japan, 

 and especially through the whole of Africa. In mam- 

 parts of Africa it forms the principal food in spite of the 

 bitter taste of the flour. A kind of bread or unleavened 

 cake is made from it. In Abyssinia and Niam Niam a 

 tolerably good beer is brewed from it. In India it is 

 much prized, as it yields good harvests from very poor 

 soil. 



191. (191) Dactyloctenium Willd. Empty glumes 

 strongly mucronate-pointed. The pericarp is absorbed 

 before the fruit is ripe. 



Species one (D. jffgyptiacum Willd., with several varie- 

 ties), which occurs as a weed throughout all warm coun- 

 tries. A decoction is prepared from the seeds, which is 

 used in Africa for inflammation of the kidneys. 



192. (230 ) Coelachyrum Nees. Small, annual plants, 

 with short spikes and no prolongation of the axis ; fruit 

 a utricle whose pericarp is easily loosened at an early 

 period, leaving the shield-shaped seed marked with prom- 

 inent radial lines. 



Species two, C. brevifolium Nees in Arabia and C. 

 Indicum Hack. (Eragrostis brevifolia Benth.) in India. 



193. (192) Leptochloa Beauv. (Oxydenia Nutt., Rab- 

 docMoa Beauv.). Inflorescence a panicle formed of 

 numerous slender spikes ; spikelets small, two-oo -flow- 

 ered, rarely one-flowered, compressed ; glumes and palea 

 keeled ; flowering glume obtuse or acute, rarely awned. 



Species twelve, in the warmer countries of both hemi- 

 spheres. One, L. mucronata Kunth, in temperate North 

 America. 



194. (193) Buchloe Engelm. (Bidbilis Eafinesque). Male 

 plant with 2-4 short unilateral spikes, spikelets obtuse, 



