72 INDIAN FOREST MEMOIRS. 



On sandy soil, however, which is moist, at least during the greater part of the rainy 

 season, this species is markedly dominant and it probably occupies a larger area than any 

 other savannah grass in Northern India. 



It is found also on well-drained loam. 



It appears to be decidedly sensitive as regards the aeration of the soil and plants taken 

 from sandy soil and cultivated in well-drained loam showed decidedly inferior develop- 

 ment, a fact which was not noticed in the case of Triraphis for example. 



It has less capacity for standing shade than either S. Narenga or Erianthus Ravennce, 

 but still it can stand a certain degree of shade, as is shown by the fact that culms are fre- 

 quently produced under the shade of Zizyphus bushes on grazing grounds. The rapidity 

 with which this grass is killed out by A cacia Catechu is believed to be due not entirely to 

 shade but partly to the drying of the surface soil by the tree roots. 



This species is here found at its best on the alluvial sandy deposits in the immediate 



neighbourhood of the larger streams where the soil is not water-logged and where it can 



establish itself on unoccupied areas, free from the injurious competition in respect of light 



and moisture of earlier arrivals. 



Development 53. This plant is perennial and as a rule 



seSn'of markedly gregarious. 



lefhityanrt ^ ne P iant consists of a much branched rhizome which constantly extends centrif ugally 



Fiowerin- 0U t W ards in all directions. 



The aerial culms are biennial and are either produced from the apex of the rhizome 

 branches or they arise as axillary shoots from the basal nodes of older culms, close to or 

 below the ground surface. 



The culms are situated close together, the entire plant thus forming a well-defined 

 clump or tuft, with the oldest culms in the interior and the youngest at the periphery. The 

 latter as already noted is constantly extending outwards as the young culms continually 

 develop from the buds of the rhizome or from the base of older culms. 1 



The period of comparatively vigorous vegetative activity is approximately 10 months 

 from February to November. It usually flowers in October and the grain ripens in 

 November. 



If a clump of this plant is examined in December — January it will as a rule be found 

 to contain — 



(i) A number of old dead culms which completed their life-cycle in the preceding 



October — November. 

 (ii) A number of immature culms bearing green leaves in which the culm proper is 



as yet very short. 



Owing to the very short internodes on these immature culms and to the leaf -insertions 

 being in consequence crowded close together each such culm resembles a tuft of leaves. 



1 During the cold, or hot season, in areas which have heen recently burnt the position of the youngest culms fit the periphery can be 

 very clearly seen, as a ring of young green shoots then surrounds the blackened stumps of the 'old culms in the centre of the clumps- 

 which have been burnt. r 



[ 72 ] 



