$35 Journ., Bom. Nat. Hist Soc., Vol. XXXI Y", No. 4 [May 31, 1928^ 



43. Aixoteropsts,. Presi, emend. Hltehc. in Contrib. U. S. Nat, 

 Herb, xii, 210 ; Stapf in Prain FL Trop. Afr. ix. 482. (Axonopus, Beauv. ; 



Cke. ii, 925). 



Stapf (1. c. 483) explains why he adopts Alloteropsis, PresI, as emended by 

 Hitchcock. ' As Hitchcock (Contrib U.S.Nat. Herb, xii, 210) has pointed 

 out, Presl's description and analyses of Alloteropsis are based on a composition 

 of a Panicoid and an Andropogonoid grass, whilst the original in Presl's 

 herbarium is undoubtedly the plant described here as A. semialala, and so is 

 also the habit figure (1) in Presl's plate. The genus is therefore accepted here? 

 with Hitchcock's emendation.' 



1 Another member of this genus, A, cimieina, was included by Palisot de 

 Beauvois (Agrost. 12) in his genus Axonopus under its earliest synonym. 

 Milium cimicinum and as " A cimicinus ? " on p. 154,. and this led J. Dv 

 Hooker (Fl. Brit. Ind. vii, 64) to use the name Axonopus- in preference to* 

 Alloteropsis, a view which was adopted by myself in Fi. Cap. vii, 418. From 

 P. Beauvois' diagnosis however, and from the fact that he quotes in the first 

 place Milium eompressum as example for Axonopus, there can be no doubt 

 that he had primarily Milium eompressum in view when establishing his genus- 

 Axonopus, and it is in that sense that the genus is understood in this work- 

 A. cimieina also forms the basis of another genus, Coridochloa, Nees in Edinb.. 

 New Phil. Journ. xv, 381. A. Chase (in Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xxiv,. 

 157) maintains this genus as distinct from Alloteropsis, and I followed her 

 when drawing up the key of the genera of Tropical African grasses (p. 13) ; 

 but I have since come to the conclusion that the species referable to these 

 two groups are so similar in the peculiar structure of their spikelets that they 

 are better merged into one genus for which Alloteropsis has priority over 

 Cordiochloa . ' 



We have, therefore, to add the characteristics of the genus as given bj 

 Stapf :: 



Perennial or annual. Leaf- blades flat or more or less convolute; ligules' 

 membranous, ciliate or ciliolate, short or reduced to a mere rim. Racemes 

 sessile or peduncled, often more or less compound towards the base,, digitate 

 or subdigitate on a more or less elongated common axis. Spikelets ovate or 

 elliptic to lanceolate-oblong ; acute or acuminate, mostly awned, slightly or 

 conspicuously compressed from the back, falling entire from the pedicels, 

 2-nate or fascicled, subsecund and abaxial on the triquetrous rhachis of more 

 or less spiciform racemes. Lower floret usually male, upper hermaphrodite. 

 Involucral glumes unequal, lower smaller, membranous to hyaline, 3-1-nerved,. 

 very acute, often mucronulate, upper equal or subequal to the spikelet,. 

 membranous to chartaceous, 5-nerved, with the outer nerves submarginal,, 

 densely ciliate along them. Lower floral glume resembling the upper involucral 

 glume, but ciliate, pale short, deeply 2-fid with conspicuously auricled flaps,. 

 upper floral glume chartaceous, glabrous, delicately ciliolate upwards,, 

 5-nerved, produced into a straight awn or mucronate, pale equal to the glume, 

 2-keeled, with broadly auricled flaps. Lodicules 2, broadly cuneate. Stamens 

 3. Styles distinct, stigmas laterally exserted. Grain enclosed by the glume 

 and pale, elliptic-oblong, dorsally much compressed ; scutellum about half the 

 length of the grain ; hilum basal, punctiform. 



Species about 5. — In the tropics and the warm temperate zone of the Oldi 

 World, 2 in India. 



In the Bombay Presidency there is only one species : 



1, Alloteropsis cimieina, Stapf in Prain FL Trop. Afr. ix, 487 ; Haines in Bot. 

 Bihar & Orissa 1009. — Milium cimicinum, Linn. Mant. Alt. IM.—Panicum 

 cimicinum, Retz. Obs. iii, 9 ; Roxb. Fl. Ind.. i, 295 ; Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. i„ 

 43.— P confugatum, Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 291.— Axonopus cimicimes (?),, 

 Beauv. Agrost. 154 ; Hook. f. in F. B. I. vii, 64 ; Hook. f. in Trim. Fl. Ceyl. 

 v, 166 ; Cke. ii, 925.— Urochloa cimieina, Kunth Rev. Gram, i, 31, t. 103 ;; 

 Dalz. & Gibs. 1. c 289. — Cordiochloa cimieina, Nees in Edinb. N. PhiL 

 Journ. xv (1833), 381 ; A. Chase in Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash, xxiv, 158. — C 

 Hmbriata, Nees ex Wight Cat. no. 1656 ; Aitchis. Cat. Panjab, PI. 158. 

 Description : Cke. 1. c. 



Locality : Konkan : Sewri (McCann 3586 F) ; Mulgaum (MeCann 3654!).— 

 Deccan: Sinhagad forests (Bhide!): Lina Hill, Nasik District (Blatter & 



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