HOLE : SOME INDIAN GRASSES AND THEIR CECOLOGY. 07 



Hook f. which includes Hackel's var. Griffithii. The establishment of this species is the 

 result of including a specimen collected by Thomson at Rondu, Tibet, which has spikelets 

 with exserted awns. This specimen however undoubtedly belongs to Erianthus Ravenna} 

 (a species which varies considerably as regards its dimensions and the width of its leaves 

 according to the amount of moisture available in the habitat) and consequently the species 

 Erianthus Griffithii cannot be maintained. 1 



Hackel's variety Griffithii is identical with Saccharum Griffithii Munro, accepting the 

 plant, which was actually given this name by General Munro himself, as this species (vide 

 1193 Griffith and 666 Herb. Falconer in Herb. Kew). 



The first valid publication of this name however appears to be in Boissier's Fl. Or., V, 

 453 (1884), and this author, while unfortunately assigning specimens (Aitchison's 467, 546), 

 which are undoubtedly conspecific with the numbers quoted above, to the entirely different 

 plant Saccharum Sara Roxb., applies the name Saccharum Griffithii Munro to a sheet in 

 his own herbarium (No. 507) which was apparently collected by Stocks (fide Hackel Mon. 

 Androp., 119), and which has not been seen by the writer. 



It is possible that Boissier's 507 is really referable to the Saccharum Griffithii of Munro 

 but its spikelets are longer (8 mm., fide Boiss., 7 mm., fide Hackel) than in any specimen of 

 the latter plant seen by the writer. 



If Boissier's plant is referable to a hitherto unpublished species his plant should, 

 under a strict application of the rules of priority, be called Saccharum Griffithii Munro, 

 but, under the peculiar circumstances of this case, it appears reasonable to keep this name 

 for the plant to which Munro undoubtedly gave it. 



Under this view, if Boissier's plant proves to be a different species, the date of valid 

 publication of Saccharum Griffithii will be that of the present paper. 

 A brief Latin diagnosis of this plant is accordingly given below. 



Saccharum Griffithii is closely allied to Saccharum Munja and exhibits marked xero- 

 philous characters, but, although the writer has found Saccharum Munja in waterless 

 stations with leaves only 0-13 in. wide, no tendency to assume the villous glume II of the 

 sessile spikelet and other characters of Saccharum Griffithii has been seen. 



Seeing, therefore, that the plant, considered a variety by Hackel, is distinguished by 

 important and well-defined characters and has a distinct geographical range, it seems 

 preferable to deal with it as a distinct species under the name of Saccharum Griffithii 

 Munro. 



1 In P. B. I. (VII, 121) it is rightly pointed out that the separation of Saccharum, from Erianthus solelv on the charaster of the 

 exserted awn is unsatisfactory and that a careful study of the species constituting these genera is advisable with a view to testing their 

 validity. The plants concerned are not always easy to discriminate in the herbarium and a careful study of representative species in the 

 field is essential before a sound reclassification is attempted. It is hoped that the present paper will serve as a small contribution to that 

 end. Whatever tho result of such study may be, the name Erianthus Griffithii, which was based on an error {viz. the assumption that the 

 spikelets are awned), should obviously not be maintained. 



It should be noted that, so far as Erianthus Ravenna is concerned, the writer has found the exserted awn a reliable and constant 

 character, clearly separating it from all the species at present classified as Saccharums. 



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