364 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Pennisetum Arnhemicum, F. v. Mueller. 



North- Australia and Queensland. This grass remains strong and 

 green through the hottest months, forming compact tussocks. All 

 kinds of pasture-animals are very fond of it [Molineux]. 



Pennisetum cenchroides, Richard. 



Africa and South-Western Asia. Perennial. The Unjum or 

 Dhaman or Anjam. At Allahabad this is regarded as a first-rate 

 fodder -grass [Dr. Stewart]. Well adapted for silos [General Sir 

 H. Macpherson]. It is a spreading grass adapted also for desert- 

 regions. In its own countries one of the best of grasses for green 

 fodder and hay ; so nutritious as to have led to the native saving : 

 " What Ghi (or Ghee, t. <?., clarified butter) is to man, that the 

 Dhaman is to a horse " [Prof. Robert Wallace]. 



Pennisetum latifolium, Sprengel. 



Extra-tropical South- America. A tall perennial nutritious grass, 

 forming large tufts, easily spreading from the roots or seeds. It is 

 of quick growth. 



Pennisetum typhoideum, Richard.* (Penitillaria spicata, Willdenow; 

 Panicum cceruleum, Miller.) 



The Bajree or Pearl-Millet or Bulrush-Millet. Tropical Asia, 

 Nubia and Egypt. An annual, requiring only about three months to 

 ripen its millet-crop in warm countries. The stems are thick and 

 reach a height of 6-10 feet, several being produced from one root, 

 and each again forming lateral branches ; the maximum-length of a 

 spike is about a foot and a half ; Colonel Sykes saw exceptionally 

 15 spikes on one plant and occasionally 2,000 seeds in one spike. 

 Together with sorghum this is the principal cereal, except rice, grown 

 in India by the native races. This grass requires a rich and loose 

 soil, and on such it will yield upwards of a hundred-fold. It furnishes 

 hay of good quality, though not very easily dried, and is also valuable 

 as green fodder. In the United States 'cultivated as far north as 

 Pennsylvania, and it matures seeds even as far north as Christiania 

 in Norway [Schuebeler]. Thrives fairly well at Port Phillip. Not 

 much affected as a summer-plant by great heat nor drought in the 

 interior of Australia. Its fast growth prevents weeds from obtaining 

 a footing. In very exceptional cases and under most favorable cir- 

 cumstances as regards soil and manure, the first cutting is in six or 

 seven weeks, the stems up to seven feet high, giving at the rate of 

 30 tons green feed, or 6J tons of hay per acre ; in six or seven weeks 

 more a second cutting is obtained, reaching 55 tons per acre of green 

 feed, the grass being nine feet high ; a third cut is got in the same 

 season. Farm-stock eat it greedily. One plant of pearl-millet " is 

 worth three of maize for f odder. " Some of the many other species 

 of Pennisetum are doubtless of rural value. A plant allied to P. 

 typhoideum occurs in China, namely P. cereale (Trinius). This also 

 affords millet or corn for cakes. 



