PLATE 474. 
Panicum miliare, Lam. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 408). 
Nat. Order GraiiiineiTe. 
Annital. — Culms erect or geniculate, 1 to 3 feet loii"-^ glabrous, 3 to 5-uocled, 
usually with flowering branches from some of the nodes. 
Leaves glabrous, very rarely more or less hirsute with tubercle-based hairs ; 
sheaths loose, strongly striate, smooth, longer or shorter than the internodes ; 
ligules very short, truncate, ciliolate ; blades linear from a usually broader and 
rounded base, taptring to an acute point, ^ to almost 2 feet, by 2 to 7 lines, flat, 
flaccid. 
Panicle erect or nodding, contracted, narrow, decompound, lax or dense, J to 
1 foot long ; axis slender, striate, smootli ; branches alternate, 2 or 3-nate, the 
lower rather distant, filiform, angular, scaberulous, the longest 2i to more than 6 
inches long, undivided ihr ^ to 2^ inches, often nodding, branchlets and pedicels 
contracted, the latter very une(pud, very short or up to ^ inch long, scabrid, tips 
slightly thickened. 
Spikelets subturgid, ellipsoid or oblong, more or less acute, 1^ to 1| line 
long, glabrous, green or purplish. 
Glumes, lon-rr very broadly ovate, clasping, acute or subacuminate, J to almost 
^ the length of the spikelet, about 3-nerved ; vjiper oblong, subacuminate, very 
concave; to if line long, 11 to 13-nerved. Loirer floret barren, valve like the 
upper glume, but 9-nerved ; pale subequal, narrow, 2-keeled. Perfect florets, oblong, 
acute, 1 line long, smooth, shining, pallid or brownish ; valve coriaceous, 7-nerved, 
anthers \ line long. 
HRbitdt : Xatal. Between Umzimkulu and Umkomanzi Rivers, Drege. 
Commonly cultivated all over India, and possibly originated from l\ j)sih)pi)diiim, 
Trin., an equally common Indian grass. 
I)ra\\'n fi'om a specimen kindly lent by the Director of the Royal Gardens at 
Kew. Tlie specimen was gathered in South Concan by Mr, Law. 
Fio- 1, Lower qhime ; 2, upper i>'lnme : .3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, fertile valve ; 6, pale ; 
7, pistil, stanieiis and lodiciiles. Alt cntdri/rd. 
