( 30 ) 



Glumes of fertile floret four, of which the outer one is hard, globular 

 and rugose. 



Plains of Northern India, and on the Himalayas up to 4 or 5,000 feet. 

 It extends to North Australia. Mr. Coldstream says that it is both 

 grazed and stacked (at Hissar, Punjab), but is not much relished by 

 cattle. At Ajmere it is considered to be a good fodder grass. 



35. HEMARTHRIA, R. Br. Species two or perhaps three. Two 

 kinds occur in Northern India, inhabiting damp ground. In general 

 appearance they closely resemble Rottbcellia, but the spikes are flatten- 

 ed, not terete, and the stalk of the sterile spikelet is adnate to the ra- 

 chis. 



H. compressa, R. Br* Syn. — Rottbcellia compressa, Linn.; JR. 

 glabra, Roxb. Vern. — Bengal: Buksha and pansheroo (Roxb.) ; Tel- 

 ing : Shervoo (Roxb.). 



Perennial. Stems many, creeping or climbing, compressed, smooth. 

 Leaves rather short, smooth and soft. Spikes 2-4 inches long, terminal 

 and from the upper axils, 2-5 together, compressed. 



Moist places in the plains, and at low elevations on the hills. Ex- 

 tends to Australia. Roxburgh says that cattle are fond of this grass. 

 Baron Von Mueller says that it is highly esteemed by graziers in Gypps- 

 land for moist pastures. 



H. fasciculata, Kunth. (Plate LVII.) Syn. — Rottbcellia fasciculata, 

 Desf. Vern.— N.-W. Prov. : Bilsa (Rohilkhand). 



This is probably only a form of H. compressa, differing by having 

 shorter leaves and the spikes shorter and more crowded. It is found in 

 similar localities. 



36. ISCIL33MUM, Linn. Contains about 30 species, of which 

 three are found in the plains. The spikes are solitary or 2-3 together 

 at the summit of the common peduncle. The spikelets are attached in 

 pairs alternately on the rachis of the simple spike, the one sessile and 

 the other stalked. The sessile spikelet contains two florets, the upper 

 one hermaphrodite and the lower male. The flowering glume usually 

 has a bent and twisted awn as in Andropogon. 



I. ciliare, Retz. Syn. — Spodiopogon obliquivalvis, Nees. Vern.— 

 N.-W. Prov. : Kdla (Doab) ; Cent. Prov. : Bara toriya-gadi and 

 piydna-horu-gadi and paba (Chanda) ; guhera (Balaghat). 



Stems 1-2J feet. Leaves tapering to a fine point, clothed with scat- 

 tered bulbous-based hairs ; sheaths inflated, the upper ones much longer 



• Plate XVIII. probably represents H. fasciculata, and not H. compressa, which it closely 

 bles. See also Plate C, Fig. 13, of present Volume. 



