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echinatum, Heyne. Vern. — Rajputana : Undri (Merwara), uhdar gin 

 (Mount Abu). 



Stems 1 foot or more, decumbent or creeping at the base. Outer 

 glume with muricate nerves ; flowering glume with a long dorsal awn 

 from near the base. 



Plains of N.-W. India andjup to 7,000 feet on the Himalaya. Consid- 

 ered to be a good fodder grass in Rajputana. 



31. ELIONURUS, Munro. Two of the 12 described species occur 

 in Northern India; one is a characteristic desert grass, and the other is 

 found on rocky ground in the neighbourhood of ravines. They resem- 

 ble Rottbosllia in habit, but the spikes are clothed with long silky 

 hairs. 



E. hirsutus, Munro. {Plate XVII.) Syn.— Rottbcellia hirsuta, Vahl.; 

 Lasiurus hirsutus, Boiss ; Saccharmi hirsutum, Forsk. ; Ischcemum hir- 

 sutum, Nees. Vern. — Punjab : Sin (Hissar) ; Rajputana: Shimvan&nd 

 siwan (Bikanir), gawdn (Jeypur). 



A perennial grass with a hard easspitose rhizome, from which strong 

 cylindrical root-fibres are given off. Stems erect, 1-2 feet, hard and 

 woody below. Leaves firm, acuminate, convolute. Spike terminal, 

 densely clothed with long silvery pubescence ; racbis brittle. Spikelets 

 in threes at each node of the rachis. 



A characteristic desert grass of N.-W. India. It is considered very 

 nutritious, and affords excellent grazing when young. Tod mentions 

 that in Bikanir, where this grass is abundant, the seed is collected, and 

 mixed with bajra flour it is largely consumed by the people. This grass 

 is also given to elephants as fodder. It becomes coarse and hard as it 

 matures, and is then only fit for thatching purposes. 



E. Royleanus, JYees. (Plate LIV.) Syn. — Rottbcellia elegantissima, Hochst. 

 and Steud. ; Androjjogon elegantissimus, Steud. 



Root slender. Stems caespitose, branched, 6 inches to 1 foot long, pilose at the 

 nodes. Leaves narrow ; sheaths inflated, edges hyaline, mouth pilose ; upper leaves 

 reduced to spathe-like sheaths and almost concealing the spikes. Outer glume of 

 the sessile hermaphrodite spikelet clothed with long silky hairs, margin beset with 

 short conical hair-tipped crenations. A distinct and curious looking grass found on 

 dry stony ground in the ravine country. 



32- ROTTBCELLIA, Linn.f. There are about 18 described species, of 

 which one occurs in Northern India. Spikes terete. Spikelets in pairs at each ex- 

 cavation of the jointed rachis, one of them being sessile and fertile, the other stalked 

 and sterile. 



R. exaltata, Linn. f. Vern. — Berar : Barsali ; BENGAL : Bura swooate 

 (Roxb.); Teling : Konda panookoo (Roxb.) 



A tall grass with strong fibrous roots. Stems slightly compressed, 6-10 feet 

 high. Leaves many, large, hairy on the inner side, margins hispid, sheaths very 

 hairy, hairs stiff and swollen at the base. Spikes cylindrical, usually solitary. 



