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1. Leptochloa subdigitata, Trin. 



Botanical name — Leptochloa — Greek, leptos, slender, chloe grass ; 

 subdigitata — Latin, sub having the sense of almost; digitata — Latin, 

 that which has fingers, — hence a slender grass with the panicle almost 

 digitate, or spread out like the fingers of a hand. 



Synonym. — Eleusine digitata, Spreng. 



Vernacular name. — " Cane-grass." 



Botanical description (B.F1. vii, 617). — An erect, rigid, usually- 

 glaucous grass, attaining 4 or 5 ft. 



Leaves short, with rigid rather loose sheaths. 



Spikes or panicle branches 6 to 10, crowded at the end of the peduncle, with usually 



1 or 2 lower down, 2 to 4 inches long. 

 Spihelets \\ or rarely 2 lines long, five- or six-flowered, the rhachis bearing a few 



short hairs under each glume. 

 Glumes about \ line long, obtuse, or almost acute, the outer empty ones usually 



rather smaller, especially the lowest. 

 Palea folded. 

 Grain oblong, perfectly smooth, the pericarp very thin and adnate. 



Value as a fodder. — A tall tussock-grass, with numerous erect 

 branching leafy stems ; usually met with around dams and river banks, 

 and affording a large supply of coarse herbage (Bailey). 



Habitat and range. — Found in all the colonies except Tasmania and 

 Victoria. In New South Wales it is found in the interior (Lachlan 

 Eiver) . 



2. Leptochloa chinensis, Nees. 



Botanical name — chinensis ; a Latinised adjective meaning Chinese, 

 or belonging to China (the country whence this grass was first 

 described). 



Synonym. — Eleusine chinensis, F.v.M. 



Where figured. — Duthie. 



Botanical description (B.F1. vii, 617). — 



Stems from a creeping and rooting base ascending to 2 or 3 feet, glabrous and usually 



slender. 

 Leaves narrow, flat, tapering to a point. 

 Panicle 6 inches to above 1 foot long, the numerous simple branches scattered or 



clustered along the rhachis, very slender, 2 to 4 inches long, or in the smaller 



weaker specimens under 2 inches. 

 Spihelets sessile or nearly so, distant or rather crowded, narrow, 1 to 2 lines long, 



usually four- to six-flowered. 

 Outer empty glumes rather unequal, acute, flowering ones broader, obtuse. 



Value as a fodder. — Used more or less for fodder in Northern 

 India, though nothing definite appears to be known regarding its real 

 value. (Duthie.) The same remarks may be applied to this grass as 

 far as New South Wales is concerned. Stock eat it. 



Habitat and range. — Found in New South Wales and Queensland. 

 In the former colony it is confined to localities between the northern 

 rivers and the table-land, usually on the banks of streams. It is also 

 found in Asia. 



