1835.] 



Observations on Nuth Grass, 



139 



This plant belongs to the genus Ischcemum of Linnens, 

 but forms a species altogether distinct from any of those 

 yet referred to that genus, at least in so far as I have been 

 able to ascertain from specific characters. It certainly 

 does not correspond with any of Roxburgh's descriptions 

 of the Indian species. 



For the sake of presenting a more perfect description of 

 the whole plants I shall give an extended generic charac- 

 ter, but taken almost entirely from this species, and then 

 add a very general description of the rest of the plant 



IschcEmum— Lin., Brown, Kunth, 

 Spikes paired or digitate, linear, rachis jointed. S pike- 

 lets two fiov/ered, two in each joint, one sessile the other 

 pedicelled. Glumes (calyx) two, exterior one flat, in- 

 terior boat shaped. Exterior sessile flower, male ; inte- 

 rior hermaphrodite ; — pedicelled spikelet the same. PaieiB 

 (corolla) of all the flowers hyaline, interior one of the 

 hermaphrodite florets, boat shaped, cleft at the apex, 

 awned. Squamuls two in each flower cuniate. Ovary 

 free, smooth. Styles two, terminal. Stigmas plumose ; 

 hairs (when highly magnified) crinate on the m.argin, un- 

 divided. Caryopsis (seed) oblong, smooth, free, exsulcate, 

 enclosed within the persistent glumes and palid. 



Roots creeping, culms several from the same point, 

 erect, simple, smooth, spikes hairy, jointed, separatiiig at 

 the joints: rachis and glumes ciliated and hairy. 



/. pilosum, repent, culms erect, simple, glabrous, leaves 

 linear lanceolate, smooth on the edges, and on both sides ; 

 spikes several, rarely paired, erect; (4-6 inches long) 

 rachis jointed, joints concave on one side, ciliated ; glumes 

 hairy, awnless ; hermaphrodite flowers with a short con- 

 torted awm, male awnless. 



Nuth or Nuthoo of the inhabitants. 

 Habitat. Frequent about Bellary and the greater part 

 of the Ceded Districts in " black cotton soil." 



Dssc^upTiON. Roots or underground stems diffuse, 

 branched, spreading extensively in all directions, round, 

 smooth, about the thickness of a goose quill, marked with 

 numerous rings (not half an inch apart,) bearing the re- 

 mains of scariose, sheathing leaves, from the axils of which, 

 new shootS; and the tru© fibrous wiry roots -spring. Pra. 



