HOLE : SOME INDIAN GRASSES AND THEIR (ECOLOGY. 109 



A. — Description. 



Dhaulu, gurla, gorha (Dehra Dun). Gogad, ghora (Central India, Bombay). vernacular 



Geniculately ascending, attains a height of 7 feet (in local plant usually 3 — 5 feet) culm.' 

 and diameter of 0-2 in. 



Slightly compressed. 



Solid. " 



Smooth. 



Axillary leafy and flowering branches are usually developed from all the upper nodes 

 except the one next below the panicle. 



These branches developing within the sheaths, push out the latter away from the culm 

 and often produce a characteristic fan-shaped appearance. 



Glabrous. Leaf-sheath. 



Compressed, keeled, especially of the lower leaves. 



Shorter or longer than the proper internode. 



Of uppermost leaf of flowering culm usually mucroniform but attains a length of Lamina. 

 3-3 in. 



Of lower leaves attaining a length of 1 foot 5 inches and width of 03 in. Verna- 

 tion conduplicate. 



Linear acuminate, tapering from base. 



Scabrid on margins. Sometimes also scabrid dorsally on midrib, and scaberulous 

 above, especially towards the apex. Often ciliate towards the base with tubercle-based 

 hairs, at least when young. 



A minute membranous rim, ciliate. Liguie. 



Spikelets in clusters of 3 (a central sessile £ spikelet with two lateral pedicelled 6 inflorescence 

 spikelets), the clusters being terminal and solitary on the capillary, sub-verticillate, branches 

 of a terminal panicle. 



Panicle rachis and branches smooth or scaberulous. 



Panicle 2 inches — 6 inches long. Ovate to sub-cylindric, yellowish to purplish in colour. 



The branches of the flowering panicle are more or less horizontally spreading, those of 

 the fruiting panicle are erect and closely adpressed to the rachis. 



Each cluster of three spikelets is deciduous as a whole, an ovate scar, shortly fringed 

 with stiff rufous hairs, then terminating the panicle branches and becoming conspicuous. 



The swollen base of the panicle branches apparently functions as a pulvinus in connec- 

 tion with the movements of the panicle branches. 



The flowers of this species are much visited by small pollen-collecting bees. 



Laterally compressed, 0-17 — 023 in. long, excluding the awns (Hackel gives 0-16 to sessile 



~~ . x Siiikelet. 



0-28 in.). 



Glume I. — Laterally compressed, narrow-oblong, embracing the margins of II at 



the base. 

 Chartaceous 2 — 4 nerved. 



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