106 INDIAN FOREST MEMOIRS. 



Scabrid on margins and dorsally on midrib, especially towards the apex (leaves quite 

 smooth fide F. B. I.). 

 Liguie. A minute membranous rim, ciliate. 



inflorescence. Spikelets solitary, pedicelled, on the capillary branches of a terminal panicle. 



Primary rachis, branches and pedicels 1 scaberulous. 



Panicle 1 — 2 feet long, conical; branches solitary, fascicled, or sub-verticillate, filiform, 

 wide-spreading, arcuate. 



sptkeiets. Narrow 0-45 — 0-65 in. long (excluding awn of glume III), one flowered. Flowering 



spikelet is dark purple. 



Glume I. — Linear lanceolate, 0-2 — 0-3 in. long. 

 Awned, awn 0-05 — 0-15 in. 

 Membranous, scaberulous dorsally on keel. 

 One nerved. 

 Glume II. — Broad subulate, 04 — 0-52 in. long. 

 Awned, awn 0-05 — 0-13 in. 

 Membranous, smooth dorsally. 

 One nerved. 



Apex entire or fimbriately toothed. 

 Glume III. — Linear, 0-3 — 042 in. long, terminating in three long awns. 



Awns subequal, or the middle slightly longer than the others, scaberu- 

 lous, 1-6 — 2-1 in. long (attain 2-5 in. fide F. B. L), not articulate 

 to the glume. 

 In the flowering spikelet the awns are erect and closely adpressed, in 



fruiting spikelet they separate and are wide-spreading. 

 Glume is chartaceous, convolutely folded, glabrous, three nerved. 

 Pale. — Oblong, hyaline to sub-opaque, two nerved at base, 0-05 — 0-06 in. long. 

 Glabrous, completely enveloped by glume III. 

 Apex sub-truncate or 2 — 3 dentate. 

 Lodicules. — Two, cuneate, obovate, or ob -lanceolate, a little shorter than to subequal 



the pale, 0-03 to 0-05 in., glabrous. 

 Anthers. — Three, 0-17 — 0-2 in. long, yellow, more or less suffused with purple. 



Filaments short. 

 Stigmas. — Two, 0-05 — 0-1 in. long, purple; styles short. 



The rachilla, which is not produced beyond glume III, is jointed above the empty 

 glumes I and II, and the latter persist after the fall of the grain. The portion of the 

 rachilla above the joint and below glume III ( = the callus) is bearded with short white 

 hairs = 



Field ciiarao- The spikelets are often attacked by a fungus Ustilago Aristidai-cyananthcE Bref. and 



ters ' a spikelet which has been attacked develops a remarkable pod-like structure, which is filled 



[ 106 ]' 



