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Annual. Stems 1-2 feet, branching from the base. Leaves small, broad at the 

 base, and tapering to a fine point ; mouth of sheaths bearded. Panicle erect, oblong; 

 branches filiform. Spikelets 16-20-fiowered, ovate, closely imbricate, usually tinged 

 with purple ; axis not articulate. 



JPlains of Northern India, and up to 5,000 feet on the Himalaya, usually on wet 

 ground. I have received no information regarding its value for fodder. 



E. viscosa, Trin. {Plate LXXX.) Syn. — Poa viscosa, Willd. Vern. 

 — N.-W. Prov. : Bhurbhur (Doab), bhulni (Cawnpore) ; Cent. Prov. : 

 Bhurbhusi (Nagpur), chikti (Balaghat), chippal (Seoni). 



Annual, Stems numerous, 9-18 inches long. Leaves rather short, 

 broad below and tapering to a fine point ; mouths of sheaths clothed with 

 long white hairs. Panicle linear oblong, 2-4 inches long ; branches spread- 

 ing, verticellate ; main rachis rather thick and stiff. Whole plant, espe- 

 cially the inflorescence, covered with a sticky glutinous substance. 



Plains of Northern India on sandy soils, often accompanying 

 E. plumosa, and probably of equal value for fodder purposes. 



E. abyssinica is a species which has lately been introduced into this 

 country for experimental cultivation. It is a native of Abyssinia, where 

 it is cultivated to a large extent at high elevations, and yields a small 

 grain, of which the bread of the country is generally made. Its native 

 name is Teff, Thaff or Thief. There are two kinds, one called " Thaf- 

 Hagaiz," and the other " Thaf-Tseddia." The former is sown in the 

 cold season, and the latter at the commencement of the rainy season, i.e, 9 in 

 June or July. " Thaf-Hagaiz " yields a white grain, and is considered 

 greatly superior to the other variety, of which the grain is of a reddish 

 colour. Full particulars of this plant, and the mode of cultivating it 

 in Abyssinia, are given in the " Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information,'' 

 No. 1 (Royal Gardens, Kew, 1887). 



Experimental sowings were last year made at Saharanpur from a sup- 

 ply of seed received from the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew. 

 Both kinds were sown in ordinary garden soil in the month of March, 

 and they yielded grain in May. After the fruiting stems were cut the 

 plants renewed their growth and produced an excellent crop of fodder 

 in the rainy season. Another sowing was made during the rains, which 

 yielded an abundant crop of fodder, and this was made into hay which 

 proved to be of superior quality, and was greedily eaten by the garden 

 bullocks in preference to chart. The grain, useful as it appears to be 

 in Abyssinia, is never likely to be much in request in this country, ex- 

 cept possibly in those districts where mijhri or kutki (Panicum miliare) is 

 grown. As a fodder plant, however, it promises to be of great value, 

 and the results of further experiments, now in course of being under- 

 taken, will indicate to what extent it can be profitably grown. 



