94 A FLORA OP MANILA 



In thickets, Pasay, Masambong, etb., fl. Aug.-Nov. ; not uncommon in 

 the Philippines, and by some botanists considered only as a variety of 

 Paidcum patens L., a species of wide Indo-Malayan distribution. 



17. P. pilipes Nees & Am. 



A slender, branched, widely spreading grass, the stems prostrate and 

 rooting at the nodes, often 1 m or more in length, the flowering branches 

 erect or ascending, 30 to 50 cm long. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, 4 to 10 

 cm long, glabrous or slightly hairy. Panicles exserted, 4 to 10 cm long, the 

 branched few, distant, ascending, densely many-flowered, the btanchlets 

 many, short, fastigiate. Spikelets crowded, brown or greenish, laterally 

 compressed, about 1.6 mm long, glabrous or slightly pubescent, shortly pedi- 

 celled. 



In thickets along trails, Masambong, fl. Nov.-Apr.; widely distributed 

 in the Philippines. Tropical Asia to Madagascar, through Malaya to 

 Australia and Polynesia. 



24. OPLISMENUS Beauvois 



Slender, ascending or decumbent, mostly annual grasses, the leaves thin, 

 flat, ovate to lanceolate. Spikelets 1-flowered, sessile or subsessile, densely 

 arranged along one side of the racemosely arranged spikes^ Glumes 4, 

 the first short, 3-nerved, tipped with a long straight awn, the second 

 short, awn shoft or none, the third longest, 5-nerved, the fourth or flower- 

 ing glume lanceolate, hardened. Palea similar to the flowering glume in 

 texture. (Greek "awned.") 



Species 25 to 30, .most tropical countries, many not well-defined, three 

 in the Philippines. 

 Spikelets about 2 mm long, densely crowded, the awns very slender. 



1. O, burmannii 

 Spikelets at least 3 mm long, scattered, awns stout 2. 0. compositus 



1. O. burmannii (Retz.) Beauv. 



A rather slender, somewhat pubescent, annual grass, the stems branched, 

 prostrate and rooting below, the flowering stems 20 to 40 cm high. Leaves 

 thirt, lanceolate, acuminate, 3 to 5 cm long, 6 to 10 mm wide. Panicles 

 pale-green, erect or nodding, 3 to 5 cm long, the spikes 5 to 10, 2 cm long 

 or less. Spikelets about 2 mm long, the glumes awned, awns very slender, 

 that of the first glume about 1 mm long. 



In dry bamboo thickets near Fort McKinley, fl. Aug.-Dec; widely dis- 

 tributed in the Philippines. Tropical Africa, Asia through Malaya, north- 

 ward to Japan. > 



2. O. compositus (L.) Beauv. 



A variable, spreading or ascending, more or less hairy grass, the stems 

 prostrate and rooting below, branched, the flowering branches ascending, 

 40 to 60 cm high. Leaves flat, lanceolate, acuminate, 4 to 10 cm long, 1 to 

 2 cm wide. Panicles exserted, of 5 to 8 spreading or ascending, green or 

 purplish, 2 to 10 cm long spikes. Spikelets somewhat scattered, 3 mm 

 long, the awn about 1 cm long. 



In thickets near Guadalupe, fl. Dec.-Feb.; widely distributed in the 

 Philippines. Tropics generally. 



