Feb. 15, 1929.], Revision of the Flora of the Bombay Presidency 235 



flowered ; rhachilla bearded, disarticulating above the involucral glumes and 

 between the flowering glumes. Involucral glumes about equal, membranous 

 or papery, several-nerved, longer than the lower floret, usually exceeding the 

 upper floret. Floral glumes indurate, except toward the summit, 5-9-nerved, 

 bidentate at the apex, bearing a dorsal bent and twisted awn, which is straight 

 and reduced in Avena sativa. 



The genus as just described does not include Trisetum, Pers. as is the case 

 ia Hook, f.'s Avena in F.B.I, vii, 274. 



Species about 55. Chiefly temperate regions. One species cultivated in the 

 Presidency. 



*1. Avena sativa, Linn. Sp. PL (1753), 79. -The Common Oat. 



An annual grass. Stems erect, tufted, smooth, 12 m. high. Blades flat, up 

 to 30 cod. high and 12 mm wide, scabrous, especially on the margins ; ligule 

 membranaceous, truncate, 1-3 mm. long, toothed or serrate, decurrent along 

 the margin of the sheath ; sheaths smooth, striate, the lower rather papery. 

 Panicle open or more or less contracted, erect or nodding, sometimes 1-sided, 

 the pedicels thickened at the apex. Spikelets large, drooping, variable in 

 size, but usually about 20-25 mm. long ; involucral glumes strongly several- 

 nerved, membranaceous, acuminate, scabrous, containing usually 2 florets ; 

 floral glumes smooth or slightly hairy at the base, teeth acute but notawned, 

 the dorsal awn absent or, if present, usually straight and not much longer than 

 the involucral glumes, often present only on the lower floret, pale enclosed by 

 the inrolled margin of the glume, densely short-ciliate on the 2 keels. — The 

 florets do not easily disarticulate, which condition is probably due to cultivation. 



Locality : Very little cultivated in the Presidency. Has been grown at 

 Hyderabad (Sind), also at military grass farms for military horses at Ahmed- 

 nagar and elsewhere. 



Grows best in the cold weather and always under irrigation. 



For a useful introduction to the study of oats see: Herbert Hunter. Oats, 

 their varieties and characteristics. London, 1924. 



66. Coelachne, R. Br. Prodr. (1810), 187. 



A small, leafy, vaiiable marsh grass. Leaves short, flat or convolute. Spike- 

 lets 2-flowered (both flowers perfect or upper imperfect) in open or contracted 

 or spiciform panicles, not articulate on the pedicels, not awned. Rhachilla 

 jointed at the base, produced between the lower and upper floral glume but not 

 beyond the upper. Lower involucral glume suborbicular, concave, obtuse and 

 delicately nerved ; upper smaller, more oblong, both persistent. Lower floral 

 glume much longer, subsessile, coriaceous, glabrous, except the shortly bearded 

 callus, pale as long, coriaceous; upper much smaller and pale more or less 

 hairy. Stamens 3 ; anthers long, narrow. Ovary ovoid ; stigmas free. Grain 

 free within the glume and pale. 



Tropical Asia, Australia, Madagascar. 



1. Coelachne pulchella, R. Br. Prodr. (1810), 187 ; Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 270. 



Description : Stems 15-45 cm. high, flaccid, decumbent or ascending, slender 

 or rather stout, leafy up to the panicle. Leaves uniform throughout the stem, 

 1-2*5 cm. long, lanceolate, subulate, acuminate, distant or subequitantly 

 sheathing, ecostate, minutely scaberulous above, nerves striate ; ligule a few 

 hairs. Panicle very various. Spikelets l-2'5 mm. long, sessile or pedicelled, 

 globose or ovoid. Lower involucral glumes suborbicular or hemispheric, 

 many-nerved, membranous or herbaceous. Lower floral glume hermaphro- 

 dite, coriaceous, dorsally rounded, nerves or very obscure, pale, coriaceous ; 

 margins incurved ; upper much the smallest, often imperfect, neuter or female. 



Locality : Deccan : Mahableshwar, by the lake, 4,500 ft., rainfall 270 inches 

 (Sedgwick & Bell 4851 \).—S. M. Country : Roadside near Khanapur, 2,500 ft., 

 rainfall 60 inches (Sedgwick 2960 \).—Kanara -' Kumbmoada (Talbot 2273 !) ; 

 Karwar. in wet fields (McCann !) ; Sirsi to Siddhapur, in fields (Hall berg & 

 McCann A47 !) ; Castle Rock, in a marsh (Bhide !, McCann !). 



Distribution : Of the genus. 



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