Feb. 15, 1929.] Revision of the Flora of the Bombay Presidency 237 



Distribution : More or less throughout India, tropical Asia, Afghanistan, 

 Japan, Australia, Africa. 



*69. Arundo, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753), 81 ; Gen. PI. ed. 5 (1754), 35. 



Tall, stout, perennial grasses with broad linear blades and large plume-like 

 terminal panicles. Spikelets 2-7-flowered, laterally compressed, in large decom- 

 pound panicles ; flowers mostly bisexual ; rhachilla disarticulating above the 

 involucral glumes and between the flowering glumes, joints short, glabrous. 

 Involucral glumes equal, broadly lanceolate, shortly acuminate, keeled, 

 membranous, 3-5-nerved. Floral glumes more or less equalling the involucral 

 glumes ovate to lanceolate-ovate, acuminate, finely bifid or entire, long-hairy 

 below, 5-9-nerved, 3 nerves more or less percurrent or excurrent, the rest short, 

 the middle nerve often produced into a short, fine bristle ; callus short, shortly 

 bearded. Pales slightly exceeding \ the length of the floral glume. 2-keeled. 

 Lodicules 2, obovate, nerved, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles 

 distinct, almost as long as the laterally exserted plumose stigmas. Grain 

 obovoid-oblong, broad, loosely enclosed in the floral glume and pale ; hilum 

 basal, punctiform ; embryo occupying almost wholly one side of the grain. 



•1. Arundo Donax, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753), 81.— For synonyms see Hook. f. in 

 F. B. I. vii, 303. 



Description : Stem creeping below, erect, 1-3 m. high, smooth, hollow, very 

 rrany-noded, simple or scantily branched, internodes slightly exceeded by the 

 sheaths, these very tight, firm, smooth. Blades linear-lanceolate from a broad 

 base, long-tapering to a very fine point, more or less drooping, 30-60 cm. long, 

 2-5 cm. broad, smooth. Panicles erect, 30-60 cm. long ; branches scaberulous, 

 erect or drooping ; spikelets 8-10 mm. long, light brown. Involucral glumes 

 glabrous ; floral ones 6-10 mm. long ; hairs 5-6 mm. long. Anthers 3 mm. 

 long. Grain 2*5 mm. by almost 1 mm. 



Locality: Often grown in gardens. 



Distribution : Lower Himalaya, Punjab, Naga, Nilgiri and Coorg Hills, N. 

 Asia, N. Africa, Europe. 



70. Polypogon, Desf. Fl. Atlant. i (1798), 66 ; Hook. f. 

 in F.B.I, vii, 245 



Annual or perennial, usually decumbent grasses, with flat blades. Spikelets 

 1-flowered, minute, jointed (but persistent) on the pedicels, laterally compress- 

 ed, keeled, densely crowded on the short branches of a spiciform or lobed 

 panicle ; rhachilla not produced beyond the lower floral glume. Glumes 3. 

 Involucral glumes equal, concave, keeled, bifid, notched or entire, with a 

 slender awn below the tip or in the sinus. Lower floral glume much smaller, 

 hyaline, sessile, truncate, toothed, awned or not ; pale small, 2-nerved. 

 Lodicules 2, falcate. Stamens 1-3 ; anthers small. Ovary glabrous ; styles 

 free. Grain obovoid, free within the glume and pale. 



Species about 10.— Temperate regions of the world, chiefly in the Eastern 

 Hemisphere. 



1. Polypogon Monspeliensis, Desf. Fl. Atlant. i (1798), 66.— For synonyms see 

 Hook. f. in F.B.I, vii, 245. 



Description: Stems tufted, 10-60 cm. high, stout or slender, leafy, base 

 geniculate. Leaves 7-15 by 3-6 mm., green, ligule oblong. Panicle 1-15 cm. 

 by 6-10 mm. broad, pale yellowish green, silky, sometimes lobulate from the 

 projecting branches. Spikelets 1-2 mm. long, minutely pubescent, very shortly 

 pedicelled. Involucral glumes very variable in breadth, obovate-oblong, sides 

 scaberulous, keels scabrid, margins ciliate, tip entire, notched or very shortly 

 2-fid ; awns from the length of the glume to 8 mm. long, excessively delicate. 

 Lower floral glume very small, oblong, glabrous, 2-fid, awned or not; pale 

 oblong, tip notched. Anthers very minute, short. Ovary ovoid. 



Locality : Sind : Sukkur (Bhide !). Shikarpur (Bhide !) 



Distribution : Tropical and temperate regions. 



71. Heleochloa, Host. Gram. Austr. i (1801), 23 ; 

 Cke. ii, 1011. 



Species about 7.— Mediterranean-oriental. 

 1. Panicles less than 2'5 cm. long ... ... 1. H. schcenoides. 



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