'tB50 CLlIl. GEAiVIINE^'. [^uchtam- 



1. E. luxurians (luxuriant), Dur. et Ascher. in Bull. Mens. Soe. Linn. Paris 

 No. 14 ; Bot. Mag. t. 6114. Teosinte. 



This is a tall manystemmed grass, which is cultivated in many warm countries for fodder ; it 

 thrives well in Queensland but although having been more or less in cultivation for the past 20 

 years has not found much favour with farmers. 



Hab.: Mexico. Now and again met with as a stray from cultivation. Some have considered 

 it the wild state of the zea (maize), which is not known in a wild state. 



29. "ZKA, Linn. 



(The Greek name of some undetermined Icind of grain). 



A tall stout annual monoecious grass. Leaves broad and flat. Spikelets 

 unisexual, males in terminal racemose panicles ; females in solitary axillary 

 stout sheathed spikes, rhaehis thick, inarticulate, spongy. Male spikelets 

 2-flowered, 2-nate, a sessile and a pedicellate one at each of the alternating teeth 

 of the inarticulated rhaehis ; glumes 4, acute, 1st and 2nd subequal, membranous, 

 empty ; 1st enclosing the hyaline paleate 3rd and 4th. Lodicules fleshy. 

 Stamens 3, anthers linear. Female spikelets 1-flowered, sessile, densely crowded 

 in many vertical series on the thick cylindrical rhaehis ; glumes 4, membranous, 

 . 1st and 2nd very broad, obtuse or emarginate ; 3rd hyaline, paleate, empty ; 4th 

 hyaline, often 2-flowered. Lodicules none. Ovary obliquely ovoid, plano-convex ; 

 style very long, 2-fid, branches papillose. Grain large, subglobose or flattened, 

 surrounded by the marcescent glumes. 



1. Z. IMCays (the native Tupi name), Linn. Sp. Fl. 976, Hook, in Fl, Brit. 

 Ind. vii. 102. 



The only species, extensively cultivated in warm countries, sometimes met with as a stray 

 from cultivation. Although usually the male inflorescence is quite distinct from the female 

 such is not always the case for frequently one meets with scattered grains in the male inflores- 

 cence and I oiice obtained a fairly well formed cob which, however, was wanting or nearly so 

 -the clothing of glumes, and it is also not uncommon to meet with male or abortive flowers at 

 the summit of the cob or female spike. 



The fungus Tilletia epiphylla, ZJ. and Br., is sometimes found upon the leaves. 



30. DIMERIA, B. Br. 



(Of 2 parts, alluding to the 2 spikes.) ; . 



^ Spikelets l-flowered,-almost sessile, inserted singly on- the alternate- notches of 

 slender unilateral spikes, which are either solitary or more frequently 2 or 3 

 together on a terminal peduncle ; the rhaehis not articulate, and frequently a tuft 

 of short hairs under each spikelet. Glumes 4, 2 outer empty ones linear, rigid, 

 keeled, not awned, the 8rd also empty but smaller, thin and hyaline ; terminal 

 giunie thin and transparent, entire or 2-lobed, with a slender awn either terminal 

 or in the terminal notch, twisted at the base and bent back at or below the 

 middle. Palea minute or none. Styles distinct. Grain free, narrow, enclosed 

 in the outer glumes. 



A small genus extending over tropical Asia. Of the three Australian species one is also in 

 East India, the other appears to be endemic. 

 Spikelets nearly 2 lines long, with a tuft of hairs at the base. Outer 



glumes rather thick. (Stamens 3?) .... I. D. acinaciformit. 



Spikelets about 1 line long, without any or only a very minute tuft of 



hairs. Outer glumes thin. Stamens 2 2. D. ornithopoda. 



Spikelets about 1 line long. Outer glume setaceous - . . . 3. Z). glahriuscula. 



1. D. acinaciformis (scimitar-like), R. Br. Prod. 204 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 vii. 523. A slender annual, branching at the base, with filiform stems Gin. to 

 1ft. high. Leaves few near the base; narrow, ciliate with a few long hairs. 

 Spikes 2, flat, the filiform flexuose rhaehis 1 to 1 Jin. long. Spikelets narrow- 

 linear, nearly 2 lines long, with a prominent tuft of white hairs or cilia at their 



