Jan. 15, 1928.] Revision of the Flora of the Bombay Presidency 414 



many into the two varieties. They exhibit almost the same distribution and 

 often both are found in the same locality, with this exception that var- Trinii 

 has not been observed in N. Kanara, Gujarat and the Konkan. But we must 

 also mention, and this is the most important point, that we saw many specimens 

 all over the country which could not be classed under either variety, and it 

 would require many new varieties if we wanted to give a name to all the 

 different variations. And even then they would be forms only and not 

 varieties. 



Haines seems to have felt the same difficulty when he tried to classify the 

 montanus material of Bihar and Orissa. He distinguishes five forms- If we 

 wanted to follow the same method for our area, we doubt whether double the 

 number of forms would yield satisfactory results. 



Stapf describes the specimens from Tropical Africa under the name of 

 C. montanus var. iremulus, Stapf. He calls it ' one of the several races which 

 constitute the rather polymorphic species C. montanus, Trin., whose area 

 includes Southern Africa, Madagascar and India. The var. tremulus ap- 

 proaches very closely the var. elatior-, Stapf, a large-spikeleted parallel to the 

 var. serrulatus ■, Stapf (Chrysopogon serrulatus, Trin.) and differs from it 

 apparently only in the almost quite smooth rhachis and branchlets (a few sharp- 

 pointed hairs may be found under a high power) and the pedicels, which are 

 glabrous almost up to the middle, and not ciliate from the base. ' It seems 

 to us (it may look like presumption on our part to criticize our veteran and 

 highly merited agrostologist) that it is somewhat risky to found new varieties 

 of a protean species on a few specimens only. 



According to Hole all the 3 varieties mentioned by Hooker * appear to vary 

 greatly, as regards their habit and vigour of growth, in response to the moisture 

 conditions of the habitat and also according as whether, or not, the plants 

 are habitually grazed, cut for fodder, or periodically burnt. The colour of 

 the cilia of glume II of the sessile spikelet (pale or white in robust us and rufous 

 in monticola), accordingly, appears to be the chief difference in the habit, and 

 these forms appear to have different and fairly defined areas of distribution 

 {monticola occurring chiefly in Central and Southern India, while robustus is 

 mainly found in N. India, in the outer N. W. Himalayas and Sub-Himalayan 

 tract).' Hole who studied the varieties robustus and Trinii both from 

 herbarium specimens and in the field has observed that the plant at Dehra Dun 

 gradually and imperceptibly passes from the typical robustus to the typical 

 Trinii. We are justified in stating that a similar transition takes place between 

 monticola and Trinii in Western India. (Of Central and Southern India 

 we have no experience). We have therefore a gradual transition from 

 robustus to Trinii at Dehra Dun, and from Trinii to monticola in W. India 

 and consequently, we are not allowed to consider Hooker's varieties as good 

 varieties. 



Vern. Names: Sunthia Khad (Dohad), Agiva, Gogar, Ghora, Dand, 

 Pandhari Kusal (Poona), Kare Hullu (Bijapur). 



Description : A very variable perennial grass , Stems usually slender, erect 

 or geniculately ascending, glabrous, sometimes robust, simple or branched, 

 30 cm. to 1"2 m. , but often attaining 2 m., slightly compressed, solid, develop- 

 ing usually axillary leafy and flowering branches from all the upper nodes except 

 the one next below the panicle. (The branches growing within the sheaths 

 push the latter away from the stem which often results in a characteristic fan- 

 shaped appearance.; Blade of uppermost leaf of flowering stem usually 

 mucroniform, but attaining 8 cm., of lower leaves up to 43 cm. long and 8 mm. 

 broad, linear acuminate, tapering from the base, scabrid on margins, sometimes 

 also scabrid dorsally on midrib, and scaberulous above, especially towards the 

 apex, often ciliate towards the base with tubercle-based hairs, at least when 

 young; sheath glabrous, compressed, keeled, especially of the lower leaves, 

 shorter or longer than the proper internode ; ligule a minute membranous rim. 

 Panicle 5-15 cm. long, ovate to subcylindric, yellowish to purplish, of several whorls 

 of few or many capillary flexuous very unequal branches bearing solitary spikes, 

 branches of flowering panicle more or less horizontally spreading, of the fruiting 

 panicle erect and closely appressed to the rhachis, rhachis and branches smooth 

 or scaberulous. Spikelets in clusters of 3, a central sessile hermaphrodite one 

 with 2 lateral pedicelled male ones, the clusters being terminal and solitary on 

 the capillary branches of the panicle. Sessile spikelets laterally compressed, 

 4-7 mm. long, tip of peduncle brown-bearded, clavate, callus short, with oval 



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