N. 0. GRAMINE^. 1379 



by preference. It causes, peoples say, as much discomfort to the stomach as 

 a woollen loin cloth to the skin, and hence the proverb— "Mandua ki roti, 

 kamala ki dhoti." 



Uses : — Mr. Baden-Powell mentions this plant among his 

 drugs, but says nothing about its medicinal properties. Some 

 assert that it is astringent. 



1345. E. aegyptiaea, Desf., h,f.b.l, vii. 295. 

 Roxb. 344. 



Vern. : — Makra, makri, (Hind ) ; Kakuriya, (Uriya) ; Suntu- 

 bukrui, (Santal) ; Cavara-pullu, [Mai (S.P.)] ; Maka-makna, tipakia 

 (Bundel.) ; Madana, chimbari, chubrei, bhobra, madhana, kar- 

 madhana, (Pb.); Malicha, maligna, mansa, (Raj.); Mathna, chi- 

 kara, chota mandiya, ute-sirkum, ute-sirla, (C. P.); Mhar, 

 nachani, natchni, nagli, raj, (Bomb.) ; Tamida, sodee, (Tarn.) ; 

 Muttengapilloo, (Tel.) ; Puta-tana, (Sing.). 



Habitat : — Plentiful all over Northern India, especially on 

 cultivated ground. 



An annual, very variable in habit. Stems erect 6-18 in high, 

 many, spreading from the crown, decumbent rooting below, then 

 ascending and either slender, sub-simple and 12-18 in high, or 

 very short, stout, copiously di-trichotomously branched the 

 branches often prostrate, short, divaricate, leafy roots capillary. 

 Leaves in tall stems 4-6 in., narrowly linear, acuminate flaccid, 

 flat smooth in short rebush specimens, \-\ in., subilate lanceo- 

 late rigid glabrous or ciliate towards the rounded, subcordate, 

 or simple base, margins nearly smooth sheathes compressed 

 long in slender states, very short and often inflated in short, 

 leaved states, upper sometimes spathiform, ligule obscure, 

 Pedicels long and slender to very short and stout sometimes 

 shorter than the upper leaves. Spikes 2-5, digitately radiating 

 from the top of the peduncle, under \-\ in. long, \-\ in. diam, 

 across the spikelets, rhachis narrow, trigonous or dorsally 

 flattened, rigid, smooth or puberulous, sometimes excurrent in 

 a pungent mucro ; spikelets inniunrable 3-4 fid many-seriate 

 xVI in- long and broad, densely crowded at right angles to the 

 rhachis 3-1 fid very strongly compressed regid base bearded, 



