Leptochloa.] clxxiii. geamine^. (J. D, Hooker.) 299 



Amongst other grasses referred to fiVformis, but which from want of materials or 

 descriptions or both I refrain from citing, is L. Unerrima, R. & S., which is described 

 as having a 2-lobed tip of gl. Ill, a character which is approached only in L. oblusi- 

 fiora, but which is easily producfd in the very concave glume by a slight force in 

 analyzing that organ. Bentliam Fl. Hongk. and Fl. Austral, refers it to L. chinensis, 

 to which its few (2-3-) fld. spikelets is opposed. It is probably a weak state of 

 L.fiUformis. With regard to Aira filiformis, Koen., in Roxb. Fl. Ind., Mr. Rendle 

 informs me that there are in the British Museum a specimen so named by Koenig 

 himself, and another authenticated by Roxburgh, and that both are the Indian 

 L.fiUformis. Roxburgh's characters of "leaves ensifonn " and " calyx large" are 

 therefore erroneous. 



4. Ii. chinensis, JVees in Syll. Batiab. i. (1824) 4, Agrost. Bras. 432; 

 stem tall stoat, spikes 2-4 in.; spikelets 4-6-fld., gl. iii. obtuse and apioulatei 

 Miq^. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 389 (ej-o/. Syn. Burm.). Steud. 8yn. Gram. 209 ; 

 Benth. Fl. Hongk. 430, Fl. Austral, vii. 617 ; Thvi. Enum. PI. Zeul. 371 ; 

 Trim. Oat. Geyi. PL 109 ; Wall. Oat u. 8896 ; Wight Cat. n. 1755 ; Duthie 

 Grass. N.W. Ind. 35 {end. syn.), Fodd. Grass. N. Ind. 59, t- 71 ; lAshoa 

 in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. 8"C. vii. (1893) 372 (excl. 8ya. teaerrima). 

 E. deoipiens & irabeoilla, Steiid. I, c. 279. Oynodoa virgatus, Nees in, 

 Wii/U Cat. n. 1751. Poa as henes, Soem. S( Bch. Syst. ii. 574. P. 

 decipiens, Br. Prodr. 181. P. chinensi^^, Linn. Sp. PL 69 {excl. Syn. 

 Burrti.); Boxh. Fl. Ind. i. 382. P. malabarica, Beiz. Obs, v. 19. P. 

 secundaria, Hei/ne in Herb. Bottl. 



Throughout India and Burma, in moist places. Ceylon, Atakalam Corle, 

 rAicoiies.— DlSTBlB. ('hina, Japan, Malaya, Australia. 



Stem erect, or genioulately ascending, 2-4 ft., often as thick as a goose-quill: 

 Heaves 6-18 io., flat or convolute, scaberulous ; sheaths loose; ligule short, lacerate. 

 Piiniele 6-18 in. ; brunches opposite or alternate, suberect or spreading. Spikelets 

 about -jL iu. ; nerves of gl. Ill and keels of palea pilose. Grain loose, obtusely 

 trigonous, subrugose. — A much more robust species than i. filiformis, but some of 

 its forms are quite as slender as is that plant. 



5. Xi. obtusiflora, Ho'hst. in Flora, xx.iviii. (1835) 203 ; stem stout 

 tall, panicle branches few erect, spikelets ^ in. 6-fld., gl. Ill oblong-ovate 

 tip truncately rounded or retuae ero-ie, grain pbo void triquetrous. Steud. 

 Syn. Gram. 209. Pua maysorensis, Battler mss. 



SotTTHEEN India ; Cochin, at Ayacotta, Bottler. (June 10th, 1808).— Disteib. 

 Afr. trop. 



Stem 2 ft. and upwards, erect, branched, leafy. Leaves narrow. Panicle of 

 9-12 simple erect branches 2-3 in. long. Spikelets alternate, sessile, as in L. 

 eh/inensis, but larger with fl. glumes -^ in. long, more oblong, with broad mora 

 or less truncate toothed tips, sometimes einarginate or retuse with an apicnlus; 

 keels of p^ilea quite smooth. Grain larger than in ehinensis, triquetrous, ventrally 

 depressed. — Bottler's specimen is imperfect ; he has labelled it " Poae species mala- 

 bancffi proxima, P. maysorensis, nob," and added tlie above description of the 

 stem leaves and panicle, which exactly accord with African oues. It is very near 

 L, chinensis, but of the great many plants of that species which I have ezamiued 

 ppne have the large spikelets and glumes of this. The habitat is an old fortified 

 town near Cochin, that had great trade with Africa, whence the plant was probably 

 introduced with merchandise. 



DOTTBTFCL INDIAN SPECIES. 



' Tj. CTNOSHEOIDES, Uoem. ^ Sch 8\)St. ii. 579 ; Xv,nth Enum. Fl. i. 270; Steud: 



'«.' Oram. 208. L. filiformis, Beauv. Agrost. 71. Cynosurus filiformis, Valil 



ii. 20. Chloris filiformis, Pair. Uncyol. Swppl, ii. 238. Poilinia- filiformis. 



