got 
synonymy was further complicated by G. C. Nees, who named 
some specimens in Wight’s herbarium (No. 1702) Andropogon 
nardoides, and in 1841 published a description of Andropogon nar- 
doides,* at the same time reducing Trinius’s Andropogon pachnodes 
to it as a synonym. ‘There were thus four names in the field, 
more or less definitely connected with the fragrant Nimar grass: 
Andropogon Martini (1820), A. pachnodes (1833), A. Calamus 
aromaticus (1840), and A. nardoides (1841). They were all set 
aside, when in 1862 Munrof pointed out that the ‘ type’ of Andro- 
pogon Schoenanthus in Linnaeus’s herbarium was Roxburgh’s 
Andropogon Martini. I have in another place shown the value 
of that ‘type’ and explained how little it has to do with the Rusa- 
grass. However, the fact was accepted as implying that Linnaeus 
had this grass in view when establishing his Andropogon 
Schoenanthus, and consequently Fliickiger and Hanburyt (in 1874) 
put ‘ Andropogon Schoenanthus, L.,’ down as the source of the 
Rusa-oil, an assumption which has since then remained unchal- 
lenged. From what I have said, it is, however, perfectly clear 
that the Rusa-grass is actually identical with Andropogon Martini 
of Roxburgh, and has to stand as such, or, if transferred, to 
Cymbopogon, as C. Martini. 
_ AREA AND VARIATION.—The area of C. Martini extends in. 
India from the Rajmahal Hills on the bend of the Ganges, to the ~~ 
Afghan frontier, and from the subtropical zone of the Himalaya to 
about 12° N., leaving out the desert and steppe region of the Panjab, 
the outer slopes of the Western Ghats, and, as would appear, a 
great portion of the Northern Carnatic. From the collectors’ and 
writers’ notes it appears to be locally very common, and a con- 
spicuous feature, particularly in the late autumn when the panicles 
change colour and impart their rich brown-red tints to the hill sides. 
So striking is this colour effect that one is tempted to suggest that 
the two commonest vernacular names for the grass ‘rusa’ with its 
numerous variations, and ‘ mirchia gand,’ take their origin from it ; 
‘rusa’ being possibly derived from ‘ruh,’ Sanscrit for “to be red,” 
and ‘mirchia gand,’ having reference at the same time to the colour, 
the red of mirch (Capsicum) and to the scent (gandha). Within 
the greater part of its area the grass, although very uniform in the 
structure of the spikelets and the peculiarly soft and delicate texture 
of the leaves, is remarkably variable in stature and in the dimensions 
of the leaves. From less than 1 m. it grows to a size which is 
described as ‘ gigantic,’ whilst the leaf-blades range from “25 to 
probably quite 1m.in length and from 8 (in extreme cases 5) mm. 
to 30 mm. in width. One of the most characteristic features of the 
leaf of C. Martini is that the greatest width is generally near the 
base of the blade, which is rounded off and suddenly constricted 
and frequently clasps the culm. This form is for example 
illustrated in Trinius’s and Royle’s figures and might be called the 
‘pachnodes’ type. In Roxburgh’s type specimen the shape of the 
blade is somewhat different in so far as the width is almost the 
same for a very considerable distance from the base upwards, whilst 
the base itself is less constricted and not stem-clasping. The same 
* Nees, Fl. Afr, Austr. (1841), p. 116. . 
t+ Munro in Journ. Linn. Soe. vol. vi. (1862), p. 52. 
+ Flickiger and Hanbury, Pharmacographia (1874), p. 660. 
