Aug. 1, 1927.] Revision of the Flora of the Bombay Presidency 32 



hollowed-out cylindric receptacle ; disarticulation of the internodes at a right 

 angle or slightly oblique to the rhachis, their tips hollowed out. Sessile spike- 

 let with a very narrow callus which is fused with the base of the internode into 

 a rim from the centre of which protrudes a small knob fitting into the hollow 

 of the next lower internode, the whole plexus falling together. Florets 2, 

 lower male or neuter, upper bisexual, awnless. Glumes equal : Lower coria- 

 ceous, flat or subconvex on the back with very narrow inflexed margins, faintly 

 nerved with a transverse groove at the base, upper boat-shaped, hyaline, 

 obtuse. Valves hyaline, 2-nerved or nerveless. Valvules similar to the valves. 

 Lodicules 2, cuneate. Stamens 3, Stigmas short, laterally exserted. Grain 

 oblong, dorsally slightly compressed ; embryo 1/4 the length of the grain. 



Species about 4.— From the Sudan through tropical Asia to Australia. 



Stapf has described the species Ophiurus megaphyllus which forms part of 



O. corymbosus, Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 160 (not of Gaertn. f. and not of 



Rottboellia corymbosa, Linn. f.). What is left over of Hook, f's O.corymbosa 



after the separation of O. megaphyllus has to go under O. corymbosa, Gaertn. 



I. Leaves ensiform, very hairy. Robust, 1*5-1*8 m. 1= O. megaphyllus. 



II. Leaves linear, glabrous. Slender, 0'6-l'2 m. ... 2. O. corymbosus. 



1. 0. megaphyllus, Stapf in Haines Bot. Bihar and Orissa pt. V (1924), 

 1058. — Ophiurus corymbosus . Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 160, partim (non Gaertn. f.); 

 Cke. ii, 951, partim; Hack. Monogr, Androp. 317 (partim). 



Description: A large stout grass, 1*5-1*8 m. high, very leafy to the top. 

 Leaves narrowly ensiform, tapering from base to apex, upper 10-18 mm. wide, 

 lower much wider, flat, very hairy as are the sheaths, but more or less glabres- 

 cent with age, hairs with small tubercle bases, margins of sheath hirsute. 

 Spikelets 2-4 mm,, slightly shorter or longer than the joints, in very numerous 

 peduncled spikes 7*5-10 cm. long, from the leaf-axils. Peduncles 7*5-12*5 cm., 

 sheathed at the base, finally far exserted, each solitary on a branch with a vill- 

 ous node, often geniculate at the node. Sessile spikelets : Glumes 4 : Lower 

 involucral glume oblong, glabrous, with rounded tip, smooth or with few lines 

 of small pits, not becoming recurved sometimes bearing a small appendage. 

 Upper involucral glume white, becoming inclined forward, quite free from the 

 rhachis when the spikelet opens. Pedicel led spikelets : the lowest are some- 

 times free at the top and bear a small brown free appendage. 



Locality : We have not been able to examine all the specimens which were 

 formerly put under O. corymbosus, Hook. f. and we are, therefore, not in a 

 position, to assign an} r specimen to O- megaphyllus, Stapf. 



Distribution : To make a definite statement all the herbarium material of 

 O. corymbosa, Hook. f. would have to be examined. 



2. 0. corymbosus, Gaertn. f . Fruct. iii, 4, t. 181 f. 3 a (Ophiuros) ; Haines 

 Fl. Bihar and Orissa, pt. V (1924), 1058 ; Rottboellia corymbosa, Linn. f. Suppl. 

 114.— O. corymbosa, Hook, f in. F. B. I. vii, 160, partim; Cke. ii, 951, 

 partim. 



Description : Perennial. Stems very numerous, glabrous, erect, slender, 

 0-6-1-2 m. high, bulbous at the base, the bulbous bases connected into a 

 horizontal rhizome. Leaves linear, glabrous, up to 5 mm. broad, margins 

 minutely tubercled at base, the tubercles bearing cilia when young. Spikes 

 very slender, 5-12*5 cm. long, sometimes ending in a small tail like that of a 

 rattle-snake (Haines), spikelets 2*5 mm. long, equalling the joint. Lower 

 involucral glume of sessile spikelet glabrous, with many longitudinal lines of 

 small pits, narrowly oblong, tip rounded, finally recurved. 



Locality: Deccan : Deolali (Blatter and Hallberg 4564 ! ) ; Nasik Road 

 (Blatter 9624 !) ; Talegaum (McCann !). 



20. Ccelorrhachis, Brown. (Stapf in Fl. Trop. Afr. ix, 78) 



Mostly tall, coarse, perennial grasses, much-branched upwards. Racemes 

 with the sessile spikelets which are often imbricate, placed anticously and 

 pedicelled laterally. Spikelets 2-nate on the nodes of the fragile rhachis of 

 slender, more or less compressed conspicuously dorsiventral spike-like racemes 

 which end the stems and their usually fascicled, spathe- supported branches, 

 different or very rarely alike in sex, similar in shape or the pedicelled more or 

 less or very much reduced ; joints and pedicels similar or the latter more slender, 



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