No. 17. 
TRACHYPOGON POLYMORPHUS Hack. 
Rootstock short. Roots strong. 
Culms tufted, smooth, bearded at the joints, unbranched, erect, 2 to 3 feet high. 
Leaves. Lower ones 6 to 12 inches long, about 2 lines wide, attenuated to a 
point, scabrous, sparingly hairy toward the base; sheaths hairy, the lower ones 
longer than the internodes, the upper shorter; ligule 1 to 2 lines long, ovate-lance- 
olate, sparingly hairy. 
Inflorescence a marrow, slender spike, rather loose, 4 to 6 inches long, erect; 
the rachis slightly hairy at the joints, otherwise smooth. 
Spikelets in pairs, 3 to 4 lines long, each 1-flowered, the lower flower sessile 
and male only, the other on a short pedicel and perfect. Male spikelets: first and 
second glumes thick; first oblong-linear, 7- to 9-nerved, sparsely pubescent, ob- 
tuse, ciliate at apex; second lanceolate-oblong, 3-nerved, acute; third and fourth 
thin, hyaline. Female spikelet like the male except the flowering glume; this 
terminating in a hairy, twisted awn, about 2 inches long. Stamens 3. Styles 2, 
stigmas plumose. 
PuaTE XVII; a, pair of spikelets opened to show the parts. 
