\QQ A FLORA OF MANILA 



In low lands, especially near the sea, fl. all the year; widely distributed 

 in the Philippines, but local. Tropical Asia and Africa through Malaya 

 to Australia. 



35. CENTOTHECA Desvaux 



A rather tall perennial grass with broad leaves. Panicles terminal, 

 the branches long*' spreading or ascending, spike-like. Spikelets 1- or 

 2-flowered, secund, not jointed on the very short pedicels, the rachilla 

 jointed at the base and between the flowering-glumes. Glumes 5, the 

 first. and second oblong-ovate, keeled, empty, the flowering-glumes oblong, 

 7-nerved, naked, or the upper one bearing soft, erect or deflexed, spines 

 above the middle. (Greek "point" or "pin" and "receptacle" in allusion 

 to the spiny upper glume.) 



Species one, or 2 or 3 closely allied forms. Tropical Asia, Africa, Malaya 

 and Australia, the following in the Philippines. 



1. C. latifolia (L.) Trin. (C. lappacea Desv.). 



Erect, rather stout, 0.25 to 1 m high, glabrous or slightly hairy. Leaves 

 broad, lanceolate, acuminate, 7 to 15 cm long, 1 to 3 cm wide. Panicles 

 terminal, 10 to 20 cm long, broad, the branches numerous, spreading, 

 smooth. Spikelets gi-een, about 5 long, numerous, pedicelled. 



In thickets, Masambong, fl. Nov.-Jan.; common and widely distributed 

 in the Philippines in forests and thickets, possibly introduced. Tropical 

 Africa and Asia through Malaya to Australia and Polynesia. 



36. PHRAGMITES Trinius 



Coarse, tall, perennial grasses with long flat leaves and 3- to 7-flowered 

 spikelets in large, decompound terminal panicles, not jointed on the pedi- 

 cels. Rachilla jointed between the flowering glumes, silky-penicillate with 

 very long hairs. Glumes all glabrous, the flrst and second unequal, ohlong- 

 lanceolate, 3-nerved, thin, persistent, the third much longer, the flowering 

 glumes subulate-lanceolate, hyaline, subaristate. (Greek "growing in 

 hedges" in allusion to its habit.) 



A small genus in most tropical and warm countries, 2 species in the 

 Philippines. 



1. P. vulgaris (Lam.) Trin. (P. communis Trin.). Tambo (Tag.). 



A coarse erect grass 1.5 to 3.5 m high, the stems nearly 1 cm thick. 

 Leaves up to 50 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. Panicles somewhat nodding, 

 30 to 50 cm long, brownish, rather dense, very many flowered, the branches 

 slender. Spikelets linear, about 1 cm long. 



In low wet placed along esteros etc., fl. Aug.-Dec; widely distributed 

 in the Philippines. Cosmopolitan. 



37. ERAGROSTIS Beauvois 



Annual or perennial, the stems erect or ascending. Leaves narrow. 

 Spikelets few- to many-flowered, in open or contracted panicles, the rachilla 

 jointed, breaking up or not. Spikelets laterally compressed. Glumes many, 

 the first and second much shorter than the spikelet, equal or unequal, 1- 

 nerved, or the second 3-nerved. Flowering glumes densely arranged, over- 

 lapping, deciduous, 3-nerved, mostly containing perfect flowers. Palea 

 deciduous with its glume, or persistent. Stamens 2 or 3. Grain minute, 

 free. (Greek "a spring" and "grass.") 



