HOLE : SOME INDIAN GRASSES AND THEIR (ECOLOGY. 85 



continuation of the growing points of the rhizome, or they arise as axillary shoots from the 

 basal nodes of older culms. 



The culms are situated close together, the entire plant thus forming a clump or tuft, 

 the oldest culms being in the interior of the clump while the youngest culms are situated at 

 the periphery which constantly extends outwards. In some cases the tufts are not clearly 

 defined and the plant shows a somewhat spreading habit. 



This grass occurs in comparatively moist localities but its usual period of vigorous 

 vegetative activity is about 6 months from June to November, it flowers in October — 

 November. 



At the end of the first season's growth the culm is found to consist of a short, hard, 

 mature, basal portion measuring 1—2 inches in length and consisting of 8 — 12 (usually 10) 

 very short internodes, which are clearly defined by the insertions of the outer older leaves. 



These outer leaves are more or less dead and dry, while within and above them is 

 situated the still soft immature apical portion of the culm, carrying one or two undeveloped 

 green leaves, and still younger leaf rudiments, terminating in the apical growing point of 

 the culm. 



Such a culm therefore appears to be merely a tuft of large leaves. 



During the second season of vigorous growth the immature apical portion of the culm 

 develops with great rapidity and produces 5 — 7 (usually 6) long internodes and finally an 

 apical segment which terminates in the flowering panicle. Thus the entire length of the 

 culm, which may attain a height of 16 feet, with the exception of the basal length of some 

 2 inches, is developed in a single growing season. 



It should be noticed that as a rule the 3 or 4 leaves which are first produced at the 

 extreme base of a young culm are mere scales with a very minute, if any, lamina and, 

 omitting these, the mature piece of culm usually developed in the first season carries 6 

 leaves. This again is the number of leaves carried on the 6 long internodes of the flowering 

 culm, so that we have in each year an apparently constant rate of growth corresponding 

 to a single leaf for each month of the vegetative season June to November. The culm dies 

 after producing flowers and seed and as it thus persists through two complete growing 

 seasons, it may be described as biennial, but it must be understood that a culm does not 

 necessarily persist for exactly 2 years. 



The young culms may commence their growth at any time during the period of 

 vegetative activity and a culm which first appears in June 1908 will have completed its 

 first year in June 1909, and will flower and complete its cycle in October — November 1909, 

 i.e. in about 1\ years. Another culm which originates, say, in September 1908, would 

 ordinarily flower in October — November 1910, i.e. would complete its cycle in about 2 

 years and 2 months. Again a culm which originates in August 1908, if growing under 

 favourable circumstances, might flower in November 1909, i.e. in 16 months. In no case, 

 iowever, has a flowering culm been found to be produced in a single growing season and the 



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