INTRODUCTION 



TT7 ITH the publication of this List of Grasses and Sedges 

 '* the hope expressed in the introduction to the "Wild 

 Plants of Nagpur " published in May 1911 is realised. The 

 reason of a delay of two years in the completion of the work 

 will be understood when the fact is taken into considera- 

 tion that in point of numbers these two orders contain 

 more than half the total species which constitute the flora 

 of Nagpur. 



The plan of the present list is the same as that adopted 

 in the former publication. The Key to the Graminae has 

 been prepared with special regard to the use of the list in 

 the field. Only such characters as can be made out by the 

 aid of a pocket lens of low magnification have been made 

 use of. Owing to the importance of recognising grasses 

 in their vegetative state, special mention has been made 

 of characters of diagnostic importance seen in the grasses 

 before they come into flower. 



The treatment of the Cyperaceae requires a word of 

 explanation. The Key to the Genera and the description 

 of the species are mainly in technical language, and the 

 determination of the species will be a laborious operation 

 for any but a trained botanist. The sedges were only 

 included in the present list after mature consideration when 

 the necessity for a list of convenient size for field reference 

 • was felt. It is hoped that the present list will save the 

 trained collector the trouble of carrying home duplicate 

 specimens. 



The notes on the uses and value of the grasses are 

 ^ased on information supplied by cultivators and are purely 



