HOLE : SOME INDIAN GRASSES AND THEIR ECOLOGY. 93 



Glume II. — Similar and subequal to I, but sometimes sub-keeled with mid-nerve 



extending almost to apex. 

 Glume III. — Oblong, hyaline, enerved, apex acute or sub-truncate and laciniate or 



denticulate, ciliate. 



= \ to | II. 

 Glume IV. — Subequal to f III, ovate-lanceolate, hyaline, enerved, apex acuminate, 



acute, or obtuse and laciniate or denticulate, minutely ciliate or 



glabrous. 

 Pale. — Quadrate, rectangular, or sub-pentagonal, hyaline, enerved, apex denticulate 



or unequally laciniate, glabrous or ciliate. 



\ to subequal IV. 



Lodicules. — None, or very minute. 



Anthers. — Two, 0-12 in. long, yellow. The filaments are sometimes connate below. 



Stigmas. — Two, 0-12 in. long, purple. 



The ordinary savannah form of this plant is about 3 ft. high and is strongly gregarious. Field Charac. 

 When in leaf it is somewhat liable to be mistaken for Eragrostis cynosuroides (known in ters * 

 Dehra Dun by the vernacular name of dab) with which it is frequently associated and 

 which has a very similar habit. 



The leaves of dab however are broader at the base and glaucous, not dark green like 

 those of sirhu. The old leaves of sirhu also turn reddish or brownish vellow, those of dab 

 are much paler. 



The somewhat succulent white stolons of sirhu, also, covered with soft membranous 

 sheaths, are at once distinguished from the hard, polished, yellow stolons of dab, which are 

 covered with hard shining sheaths. 



73. The leaf of the ordinary savannah form Anatomy, 

 of this species exhibits considerable xerophilous adaptations. 



The cuticle is strongly developed, particularly in the lower epidermis. 



Each longitudinal nerve is provided with two girder-like groups of sclerenchymatous 

 fibres. The girders of the principal nerves are strongly developed and are situated, respect- 

 ively, close below the upper and above the lower epidermis, the nerve thus being connected 

 with the epidermis above and below. Each nerve is flanked laterally with a narrow band 

 of chlorenchyma, these bands curving inwards and almost meeting around the nerve inside 

 the girders. The chlorenchyma thus gives the appearance of more or less complete rings 

 around the vascular strands. The epidermis situated immediately above the chlorenchyma 

 is provided with stomata which are particularly numerous on the upper surface of the leaf. 

 Alternating with, and parallel to, the principal nerves on the upper surface of the leaf are 

 longitudinal bands of the remarkable, large, thin-wallfed, colourless, cells which are called 



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