GRAMINEAE 77 



of from 2 to many, slender, more or less fragile, jointed, digitately arranged 

 spikes. Spikelets solitary, sessile, not in pjairs, 1-flowered. Glumes 4, the 

 first the largest, the second keeled, 3-nerved, the third small, hyaline, the 

 'fourth smallest, hyaline, long-awned. Stamens 2 or 3. (Greek "jointed" 

 and. "stem".) 



Species about 12 in the tropics of the Old World, 3 in the Philippines. 



1. A. quartlnlanus (A. Rich.) Merr. 



A -weak, slender, ascending ol- rambling, somewhat branched grass 

 reaching a length of 1 m or less. Leaves lanceolate, 2 to 5 cm long. 

 Inflorescence exserted, of 2 or 3, rarely more, slender, 2 to 5 cm long, green 

 or purplish spikes, the joints of the rachis white-pilose. Spikelets lanceo- 

 late, acuniinate, 5 to 6 mm long, rather distant, scabrid,. the awn slender, 

 geniculate, longer than the spikelet. 



In dry thickets and open places, San Pedro Macati, fl. Dec^an.; other- 

 wise known in the Philippines only from northern Luzon. India to Abys- 

 sinia. 



8. POLLINIA Trinius 



Annual or perennial erect grasses, the spikes subdigitately fascicled at 

 the ' ends of the stems, hairy, the rachis fragile. Spikelets in pairs, one 

 sessile, one pedicelled, 1-flowered, or the sessile one 2-flowered. Glumes 4, 

 the first flattened or concave, margins narrowly inflexed, the second as long 

 as the first, keeled, acute, the third hyaline, ciliate, the fourth very short, 

 hyaline, or reduced to the dilated base of the long, twisted, exserted awn. 

 (In honor -of C. Pollini, an Italian botanist.) 



Species about 80, tropical and subtropical parts of the Old World, 10 in 

 the Philippines, 1 in our area. 



1. P. argentea Trin. 



A tufted, erect, unbranched, rather slender grass 20 to 60 cm high. 

 Leaves linear, 5 to 15 cm long, mostly basal. Spikes 2 to 6, silky-hairy, 3 

 to -9 cm long, at the apex of the stem, somewhat flexuous. Spikelets about 

 3 mm long, silky-hairy with white hairs, the awns 6 mm long or longer. 



In dry grass lands, apparently rare in our area, June; widely distributed 

 in the Philippines. India, Malaya, and northern Australia. 



9. 8ACCHARUM Linnaeus 



Tall, coarse, erect, perennial, usually unbranched grasses, the stems 

 solid. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle, the branches slender, jointed. 

 Spikelets small, awnless, 1-flowered, in pairs, 1 sessile with a perfect flower, 

 1 pedicelled with a female flower. Glumes 4, all thin, the third empty, the 

 fourth shorter than the others, rarely wanting. (Latin "sugar.") 



Species about 12, chiefly in the ti^opics of the Old World, 3 in the Philip- 

 pines. 



Stem silky below the panicle; leaves harsh, 1.5 cm wide or less. 



1. Si apontaneum 



Stem glabrous below the panicle; leaves broad, up to 5 cm in width; 



cultivated only. 2. S. officinarum 



1. S. spontaneum L. subsp. Indicum Hack. Talahib (Tag.). 



A coarse, erect perennial, usually more or less tufted or gregarious grass 

 1 to 3.5 m high, from stout underground rootstocks. Leaves harsh, linear, 

 slenderly acuminate, 0.5 to 1 m long, 6 to 15 mm wide. Panicle white, 



