n 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, ( CEYLON BRANCH.) 



bifarious spikelets, and very distinct from all the other species 

 of this large genus. 



174. Eragrostis unioloides, 2?. and S. E. amabilis, W. 

 and A. Poa unioloides, Retz. Uniola indica, Spreng. This 

 is a very abundant plant and is found from two or three inches 

 to upwards of one foot in height, with two kinds of panicles, 

 one form having narrow compact ones, and the other large 

 open spreading ones, with beautiful Briza-like flowers of a 

 whitish purple tinge, but sometimes are white. When grow- 

 ing on the banks of streams or close to water, it is a very hand- 

 some grass. Graham, Cat. Bombay plants, p. 236, calls it 

 " the most elegant of all the grasses." For the utter confusion 

 in respect to the Poa amabilis, and P. tenella of Linneus, see 

 Sir W. Munro's notes. 



175. Eragrostis poceoides, Beauv. C. P. 3,944. Poa era- 

 grostis, Linn.? Kth. Enum. L p. 332. I know this grass 

 only from the single specimen I have seen of the above C. P. 

 No., found by the Rev. S. 0. Gleuie at Triucomalee. 



176. Eragrostis Brownei, N. ab Es. Poa polymorphs., 

 R. Br, P. Brownei, Kth. P. glaucoides, Moon Cat. p. 9. Eia 

 kooru-tana, Sinhalese. This is a very common grass from the 

 sea coast up to Nuwara Eliya, and affects the dry sand of the 

 cinnamon gardens as w T ell as the sides of water and streams, 

 and is often found growing in sheets of water. It can easily be 

 recognised from all the other species of the genus by its glaucous 

 metallic hue. It is a tall, stiff, wiry grass, and I do not believe 

 cattle ever touch it. I feel confident that it is Moon's Poa 

 glaucoides, with the native name, both applicable to this grass. 



177. Eragrostis zeylanica, N. ab Es. Poa reclinata, Moon 

 Cat. p. 9* Mal-aetora-tana, Sinhalese. Dr. Thwaites suggests 

 that this is only a variety of the last one, but the habits of the 

 two are so different that 1 do not think they are forms of one 

 species. This is always found spreading close to the ground, 



