HITCHCOCK AND CHASE GRASSES OF THE WEST INDIES. 285 



A slender ascending perennial with geniculate lower nodes, narrow scabrous 

 blades, and few to several pairs of racemes about 5 cm. long, these densely 

 short-villous, the twice-bent awns about 3 cm. long. 



Waste places, introduced in a few localities in Mexico and the West Indies. 



Native of the Mediterranean region, whence originally described. 



Cuba (Habana, Ledn 2788; Manacas, Ledn 5841, 5870), and Santo Domingo 

 (Wright, Parry & Brummel 616). 



The citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle, Andropogon nardus L.) 

 and the lemon grass (Cymbopogon ciiratus (DC.) Stapf ) are cultivated and may 

 possibly be found growing spontaneously. They are robust aromatic grasses 

 with large compound inflorescences of small awnless or obscurely awned racemes, 

 the first species with the glumes of the sessile spikelets flat on the back, the 

 second with these glumes concave on the back. The essential oils of these and 

 related species are used in perfumery. 1 Lemon grass is called " hierba de 

 lim6n " in Cuba. In Porto Rico the fibrous rootstock of C. nardus is used as a 

 toothbrush by the poorer people. . , 



14. ANATHERUM Beauv. 



Racemes long, slender, solitary, on long filiform peduncles borne in whorls 

 on an elongate axis, forming a large panicle ; spikelets awnless, arranged as in 

 Andropogon, the. filiform rachis tardily disjointing. 



1. Anatnerum zizanioides (L.). fy^ /€ ^" Khus-khus. 



Phalaris zizanioides L. Mant. PI. 183. 1771. 



Andropogon muricatus Retz. Obs. Bot. 3: 43. 1783. 



Anatherum muricatum Beauv. Ess. Agrost. 128, 150. pi. 22. f. 10. 1812. 



Vetiveria arundinacea Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 559. 1864. 



Vetiveria muricata Griseb. PI. Brit. W. Ind. 560. 1864. 



Sorghum zizanioides Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 791. 1891. 



Andropogon zizanioides Urban, Symb. Antill. 4: 79. 1903. 



Vetiveria zizanioides Nash in Small, Fl. Southeast. U. S. 67. 1903. 



A robust, densely tufted, erect, branching perennial with scabrous-margined 

 blades, elongate-pyramidal panicles, and muricate spikelets. 



Commonly cultivated in the West Indies as a hedge plant and for its aromatic 

 roots. Sometimes escaped along roadsides. Originally described from India. 

 An4r epvgon squarrosua a»# Andropogon muricatus are also described from 

 India. Vetiveria arundinacea is described from the West Indies, Jamaica 

 and Trinidad being mentioned, as "perhaps introduced from the East Indies." 

 This is called " vetiver " * in Cuba. The roots are packed with articles of cloth- 

 ing to preserve them from moths. This is the grass that produces the aromatic 

 roots called in Porto Rico " pacholi " 3 or " pachuli." The Indian name " khus- 

 khus " is used in the English islands. The aromatic roots are sometimes woven 

 into screens which, when wet, are used to perfume living quarters. Also some- 

 times called "cockroach grass " and "khas-khas." 



1 A detailed account of these grasses is given by Stapf in an article on The Oil- 

 grasses of India and Ceylon (Kew Bull. Misc. Inf. 1906: 297-363. 1906). 



a Maza and Roig, Est Exp. Agron. Bol. 22: 108. 1914. 



8 Cook, O. F., and Collins, G. N. Economic Plants of Porto Rico. Contr. U. S. 

 Nat. Herb. 8: 208. 1903. 



