171 

 1. Elytrophorus articulatus, Beauv. 



Botanical name. Elytrophorus Greek, eleutron, a covering ; phoreo, 

 I bear, in allusion to the large outer glume; articulatus Latin,, jointed, 

 referring to the interrupted (jointed) spike-like panicle. 



Where figured. Duthie. 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 638). An erect glabrous annual, 

 from under 6 inches to rather above 1 foot high, including the 

 inflorescence. 



Leaves flat, often longer than the stem, with loose sheaths. 



Spikelets small and very numerous, the globular clusters sessile in a cylindrical spike 

 3 to 4 lines diameter, and often occupying the greater part of the plant, either 

 continuous throughout or interrupted and shortly branched at the base. 



Glumes rarely 1 line long without the points, the awns of the flowering ones about 

 as long as or rarely longer than the glume. 



Dorsal icings of the palea entire or denticulate, either both or one only rather broad. 



Value as a fodder. A handsome grass of little importance to the 

 grazier. 



Habitat and range. Found in all the Colonies except Western Aus- 

 tralia and Tasmania. It is an interior species with us. It is found 

 on the plains of Northern India on damp clay soils ; also in other 

 countries of tropical Asia and in Africa. 



91. ERAGROSTIS. 



Spikelets several- usually many-flowered, pedicellate or sessile, in a 

 loose and spreading or narrow and clustered panicle, the rhachis of the 

 spikelet usually glabrous and articulate under the flowering glumes, 

 but often very tardily so, and sometimes inarticulate. 



Outer empty glumes unequal and rather shorter than the flowering 

 ones, keeled, without any or only faint lateral nerves. 



Flowering glumes obtuse or acute, unawned, three-nerved, the keel 

 prominent, the lateral nerves in a few species very faint. 



Palea shorter than the glume, with two prominent nerves or keels, 

 often persisting after the glume and grain have fallen away. 



Grain free, ovoid or oblong, not furrowed. 



SECTION I. CHAUNOSTACHYA. 



Spikelets somewhat flattened, the glumes rather distant, loosely imbricate, overlapping 

 the rhachis at the base, so as not to leave a longitudinal furrow, usually 

 very thin, with the lateral nerve on each side faint or marginal. 



Spikelets usually three- or four-flowered, pedicellate, in a spreading 



panicle. 

 Spikelets very numerous and minute, \ to f line long. Grain 



ovoid, smooth 1. E. tenella. 



Spikelets on long capillary pedicels, 1 to 2 lines long. Grain 



globular, tuberculate ... ... ... ... ... ... 2. E. nigra. 



Spikelets linear, more than six-flowered. Glumes acute or rarely 



obtuse. 

 Spikelets numerous, pale -coloured, shining, shortly pedicellate 



and crowded on the long branches of a narrow panicle. Grain 



broadly obovoid Q.E.megalosperma. 



Spikelets numerous, very narrow-linear, shortly pedicellate and 



distant along the capillary erect branches of the panicle ... 7. E. pilosa. 

 Spikelets not very numerous, linear-lanceolate, pedicellate, in a 



spreading panicle 8. E. leptostacliya. 



