[From the Journal of the Bombay Natural Hist. Soc, February 15, 1929.] 



REVISION OF 

 THE FLORA OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY 



BY 



E. Blatter, s.j., ph.d., f.l.s 



PART VIII 



GR AMINES 



BY 



E. Blatter and C. McCann 



{Continued from page 25 of this Volume.) 



60. Cknchrus, Linn. ; Hitchcock and Chase in 

 Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb, xx (1920), 50. 

 Annual or perennial herbs. The inflorescences are spike-like racemes, con- 

 sisting of involucellate clusters of shortly pedicellate spikelets jointed on a 

 simple rhachis. Iavolucel consisting of hardened spike-like bristles, connate at 

 the base into a short, coriaceous cup, which is surrounded by erect or squarrose 

 bristles. Spikelets 1-3 in each involucel, mostly glabrous or nearly so, persist- 

 ent, 1-2-flowered, with 3-4 glumes Lower involucral glume 1-nerved, usually 

 narrow, sometimes wanting ; upper involucral glume and lower floral glume 

 subequal, 5-7-nerved. Lower floral glume longer than the upper involucral, 

 with or without male flower, paleate Upper floral glume coriaceous, with a 

 hermaphrodite or female flower. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Styles 2, stigmas 

 plumose. Grain broad, oblong, dorsally compressed, with a punctiform hilum, 

 free within the glume and pale. 



Species about 25. — Tropical and subtropical. 



1. Base of involucel rounded ... ... 1. C. bif torus. 



2. Base of involucel turbinate ... ... 2, C. catharticus. 



1. Cenchrus biflorus, Roxb. Fl. Ind. i (1832), 233; Cke. ii, 917; Achariyar 

 S. Ind. Grass. (1921), 121— For synonymy see Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 89. 



Description : Cke. I.e. 



Locality: Sind : Karachi (Woodrow) ; Jamadar ka Landa, near Karachi 

 (Stocks); Jamesabad, in fields (Sabnis B1110 !) ; Umerkot, sandy plains 

 (Sabnis B1081 !) ; Nasarpur, clayey soil (Sabnis B1051!) ; Mirpur Sakro 

 (Blatter and McCann D627 !) ; Tatta (Blatter and McCann D628 !). — Gujarat ; 

 Kharaghoda, under trees (Saxton 1064 !) ; Ahmedabad (Sedgwick !, Cooke) ; 

 MorviTwoodrow).— Khandesh : Bhusawal, Tapti (McCann 5154!); Umalla, 

 TaptiBank (Blatter and Hallberg 5158 !) ; Kaperkhedo, Bori River (Blatter and 

 Hallberg 4393 !) . 



Distribution : Punjab, Rajputana, Gangetic Plain, W. Peninsula, Balu- 

 chistan, Arabia, Africa. 



2. Cenchrus catharticus, Del. Cat. Hort. Monsp. (1838); Schlecht. Linnsea 

 xiii (1839) Litt. p. 103; Cke. ii, 918; Hitchcock and Chase in Contrib. U.S. 

 Nat. Herb, xx (1920), 53, fig. 8 ; Achariyar S. Ind. Grass. (1921), 122.— For 

 synonyms see Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 90. 



Description : Cke. ii, 918. 



Locality : Sind : Karachi (Burns !) ; Gharo (Blatter and McCann D629).— 

 Gujarat : Ahmedabad, sandy ground (Sedgwick !) ; Sumrasar, Cutch (Blatter 

 3762 !) ; Perim Island, at the mouth of the Narbada River (Raoji).— Khandesh : 

 Bor, Bori River (Blatter and Hallberg 5115 !). 



Distribution : Punjab, Gangetic Plain, W. Peninsula, Bellary, Nellore, 

 Arabia, tropical Africa. 



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