Zenkeria] Graminecz. 26 J 



branched at the very base, rigid, smooth, internodes long, 

 nodes glabrous ; 1. shorter than the stem, erect, filiform, quite 

 smooth, sheath of lower short, of upper long, terete, smooth, 

 coriaceous, mouth not auricled, ligule very short with long 

 hairs; panicle 2-4 in., erect, quite smooth, rhachis filiform, 

 branches few, distant, subsecund, solitary or the lower 2-3- 

 nate, 1-2 in. long, bearing few long- or shortly pedicelled 

 spikelets towards the tips only; spikelets erect, with the awns 

 I in. long, narrow; glumes I and II lanceolate, with long 

 acuminate membranous points, and broad membranous mar- 

 gins, many-veined, upper longest, as long as the flg. glumes, 

 rhachilla o except the glabrous stout elongation of the pedicel 

 of the spikelet between the insertions of the empty glumes; 

 III and IV quite equal and similar, or awn of III longest, 

 narrowly oblong-lanceolate, about \ in. long exclusive of the 

 awns, narrowed at the tips into awns J-§ in. long, margins 

 involute, closely embracing the linear palea, which branches 

 at the top into 2 rigid diverging awns half the length of the 

 awn of the glume or more, margins of palea involute, closely 

 embracing the long red-brown grain. 



Colombo ; in Cinnamon Gardens, abundant. Spikelets green or 

 purplish. 



Also in Tenasserim. 



51. ZENKERIA, Trin. 

 Tall, glabrous, perennial grasses ; stems tufted, bases 

 clothed with the fibrous remains of old sheaths ; 1. long, 

 narrow ; spikelets small, in effuse panicles with capillary 

 branches, laterally compressed, 2-fld. (both fi. perfect), not 

 articulate on the pedicels, rhachilla very short, bearded, not 

 produced above the uppermost glume ; glumes 4, rather 

 unequal-sided, I and II subequal or upper longer, persistent, 

 III and IV equal and similar, chartaceous, bearded with long 

 hairs below the middle, terete, veins many, callus o, palea 

 shorter than the glumes, oblong, truncate, keels ciliate with 

 long hairs; lodicules ovate, denticulate; stam. 3, anth. linear; 

 styles short, free at the base, stigmas short, penicillate, hairs 

 simple; grain (immature) narrowly oblong, base acute. — Sp. 

 the following. 



Glumes obtuse or subacute 1. Z. obtusiflora. 



Glumes acute or acuminate 2. Z. elegans. 



1. Z. obtusiflora, Benth. injourn. Linn. Soc. xix. 93 (1881). 

 Trim. Cat. Ceyl. PI. 108. Amphidonax obtusiflora, Thw. Enum. 370. 

 C. P. 3470. 

 C Fl. B. Ind. vii. 270. 



