^77 
spikelets.  It  is  very  abundant  in  damp  spots^  and  being  fairly  tall 
is  easily  cut. 
Le,ersia  hexandra  is  a very  slender  grass  with  iiirrovV  leaves. 
U is  about  two  feet  tall,  with  a small  panicle  of  spikelets  resembling 
those  of  paddy  but  much  smaller.  In  fact  the  plant  belongs  to  the 
group  Oryzeoe,  and  is  nearly  allied  to  the  rice  plants.  This  is  really  the 
best  fodder  grass  we  have,  and  is  much  liked  by  cattle  and  horses. 
It  will  not  grow  in  dry  spots,  being  a semiaquatic  grass,  but  is  abun- 
dant in  all  open  wet  ground,  and  forms  with  the  last  the  thick  long 
grass  of  the  open  swamps. 
Ischosmum  ciliare,  mentioned  above  as  a turf  grass  is  another  ex- 
cellent fodder.  Though  as  a turf  grass  it  grows  short  and  compact,  in 
damper  spots  it  gets  taller  and  thicker  and  can  be  easily  cut.  Among 
the  other  mixed  grasses  growing  in  somewhat  dryer  spots  than 
Leersla  and  Isachne,  we  hav^e  gooi  plants  in  the  form  of  Paspalum 
san^iiinale  one  form  of  which  I have  already  mentioned  as  a good 
turf  grass.  The  common  weedy  form  which  grows  in  partly  cleared 
ground  beco  nes  taller,  s )ine  two  or  three  feet  high,  and  is  a suitable 
fodder. 
P.  maximum,  the  Guinea  grass,  is  often  cultivated  for  horse  fod- 
der. It  is  very  easily  grown  and  attains  a large  Vize  often  over  six 
feet,  and  can  easily  be  propagated  by  breaking  up  the  tufts.  The 
leaves  are  rather  broad,  and  it  is  stated,  that,  when  given  in  large 
quantities  in  a wet  state  to  horses  it  produces  inflammation  of  the 
stomach  and  death.  Mixed  with  other  grass  it  is  certainly  very  good 
for  horses  aiid  is  cultivated  as  a fodder  all  over  the  tropics.  It  is 
certain  that  many  horses  have  been  killed  here  by  over  eating  of 
this  grass,  so  that  no  horse  or  cow  should  be  allowed  to  eat  large 
quantities  of  it  at  a time;  what  the  exact  cause  of  death  is  in  these 
cases  is  at  present  obscure,  but  it  is  known  that  in  other  cases  of 
death  from  over-eating  of  certain  fodders,  the  cause  is  due  to  the 
formation  of  prussic  acid  in  the  leaves  at  a certain  period  of  their 
growth  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  this  may  happen  in  the  case  of 
the  Guinea  grass.  The  subject  however  requires  careful  investiga- 
tion. 
Panicum  muticum,  Watergrass,  is  a smaller  narrower-leaved 
grass  than  the  Guinea  grass.  It  has  long  been  introduced  into  this 
country,  being  a native  of  South  America,  where  it  is  also  largely 
cultivated  for  horse  fodder.  In  Brazil  almost  every  house  has  a 
])atch  of  this  grass  in  the  compound  which  is  cut  for  the  horses 
each  day  by  the  syces. 
It  grows  in  damper  more  low-lying  spots  th.an  the  Guinea  grass, 
and  is  an  equally  good  and  apparently  much  safer  fodder.  I have 
no  records  of  accident  from  it.  It  is  usually  about  four  feet  tall 
but  grows  to  as  much  as  eight  feet  in  some  places,  the  bases  creep- 
ing, the  nodes  and  often  the  sheaths  hairy,  the  inflorescence  of 
numerous  short  spikes,  with  very  crowded  spikelets  arranged  in 
rows  on  one  side  of  the  flattened  rachis. 
I do  not  know  why  this  grass  is  so 'little  used  here,  unless  it  be 
