292 Jour., Bom. Nat. Hist. Sec, Vol. XXXII, No. 2. [Oct, 20, 1927. 



Presidency or outside it. It is only in this way that we shall be able to co-ordi- 

 nate the knowledge obtained on so widely spread a* genus like Sorghum 

 and it would not help botanical science to start the investigations of Indian 

 Sorghums on independent lines without constant reference to the work done in 

 other fields. It might be easier and perhaps also more convenient for certain* 

 practical purposes, but on the whole certainly less scientific and in the long rum 

 more confusing. 



A. Wild species 



I. Racemes up to 4-noded 



1. Primary branches of panicle divided 



(a) Stems up to 4*5 m. high ... 1. S. halepense: 



(b) Stem about 75 cm. high ... 2. S. subglabreseens. 

 2: Primary branches ©f panicle simple ... 3. 5. purpureo-seri- 



ceurm. 



II. Racemes 2-8-noded .». ... 4. 5". mtidum. 



B. Cultivated species ,., ... 5. S. vulgare. 



I. Sorghum halepense, Pers. Svn. i (1805), 101.— Andropogon halepensi^ 

 Brot. PL Lusit. i (1804), 89; Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 182; Cke. \\ r 983 > 

 Haines Bot. Bihar and Orissa 1033. 



Vern. Names : Boru, baru ; called Johnson Grass in America. 



Description : Cke. I.e. 



Locality: Gujarat: Ahmedabad (Gammie 16389!); Perim Isl., Gulf of 

 Cambay (Blatter 3813!).— Khandesh : Toranmal (McCann 9643 !) ; Khadgauir* 

 (McCann 9642 \).—Konkan : Bassein Port (Chibber 138 !) ; Kase forest, Dhants 

 Range (Ryan 1919 !> ; Vetora (Sabnis 33072 !) ; Trombay (McCann A. 269 !) ; 

 Bycul la (McCann 965S !).— Deccan : Ganeshkhind Botanic Gardens (Herb. 

 Econ. Bot. Poona !) ; Purandhar (McCann 5001 !)•; Khandala, railway line neaF 

 Rama's Bed (McCann 9426!) ; Panchgani (Blatter and Hallberg B, 1302!).— 

 S. 31. Country: Kunnur, 2,000 ft., rainfall 35 " (Sedgwick and Bell 4964!); 

 near Kilgerry (Talbot 2617 \}.—Kanara : Halyai Fort (Talbot 2006 •!•). 



Distribution : Most warm countries. 



Uses: A good .fodder grass. The grain is eaten. See Vinalle,H. N. : A study 

 of the literature concerning poisoning of cattle by prussic acid in Sorghum^ 

 Sudan grass and Johnson grass, Journ. Amer. Soe. Agron. 13 (1921),, 267-80- 

 Gives remedies for hydrocyanic acid poisoning.. 



2. Sorghum sirbglabrescens, Schweinf. 8t Asehers. in Beitr. FI. Aethiop^ 

 302, 306 ; Stapf in Fl. Trop. Afr. ix, 137.— Andropogon subglabreseens, Steud. 

 Syn. PL Glum. i> 393.— .4. Sorghum, subsp. sativus, var. subglabreseens 

 Hack, in Monogr. Androp. 519 ; Chiovenda in Ann. Istit. Bot. Roma vii, 25 

 Description : Annual. Culms (Stapf saw only a meagre specimen) slender 

 almost simple, 75 cm. high, about 8-noded, internodes, except the uppermost 

 shorter than the sheaths. Leaf -sheaths finely pubescent at the nodes ; ligules- 

 very short, shortly ciliate from the back ; blades linear from a broad (middle 

 and upper leaves) or slightly narrowed (lower leaves) base,, long-attenuated 

 upwards, up to 20 by 1"7 cm., green, flushed with red, quite glabrous. Panicle 

 oblong, erect, 8*5 by almost 25 cm., contracted, moderately dense ; branches; 

 scattered, erect, the longest not much over 2*5 cm., long and undivided for about 

 12 mm. from the base, almost simple, scabrous to spinulously ciliate, sparingly 

 hairy at the base. Racemes tough, up to 4-noded and 8*5-10'6 mm. long, dense ; 

 Joints rather stout, up to 2 mm. long, shortly whitish-ciliate ; pedicels very 

 similar, up to 1 mm. long. Sessile spikelet oblong, actue in flower, broad- 

 ovoid or ellipsoid in fruit, 63 by 3*3 mm., at length variegated, awned ; callus- 

 beard scanty, 1 mm. long. Involucral glumes equal, gaping when mature, 

 more or less coriaceous and glossy in the lower third, spongy-subcoriaceous and 

 constricted about the middle, then papery, more or less whitish strigillose, at 

 length sometimes almost glabrous ; lower finely 13-nerved, nerves showing above 

 the coriaceous base, keels rather sharp, scabrid, running into minute teeth, be- 

 tween which the minute hyaline tip protrudes , the coriaceous part rich maroon 

 to almost black, followed by a pale transverse zone, then violet or purple across 

 the middle, the broad triangular somewhat depressed tip straw-colour or 

 reddish upwards ; upper glume almost as broad as the lower, 9-nerved, slightly 

 keeled, coloured like the lower. Floral glumes ciliate; lower broad- oblong, up to> 

 almost 5*3 mm. long ; upper ovate, subentire, 3*3 mm. long, awn up to 12'7 mm. 

 long, sharply bent, column stout A twisted* equalling the bristle. Grain exposed 



[1,2] 



