W eatherwax : The Oriental Maydeae 11 
are more or less thickly beset with stiff, sometimes papillose, 
hairs. The plant shows no tendency to be perennial. 
The inflorescences are mostly clustered at the ends of long 
branches which arise from the axils of the uppermost leaves 
(Fig. 22). The inflorescence is a modified panicle, as in Coix; 
its lower half is enclosed in a loose, inflated spathe. There is 
some doubt as to the homology of this spathe with the 
indurated one of Coix. The basal spikelet is pistillate; above 
it are five to ten pairs of staminate spikelets (Fig. 25). 
The pairing of the spikelets, while similar to that in other 
Maydeae, and in the Andropogoneae, presents a different 
appearance because of the union of the pedicel of one spikelet, 
for at least a part of its length, with the rachis. In most of 
the Andropogoneae, and in the American Maydeae, each 
phytomer bears its characteristic group of two or three spike- 
lets at its lower end. But in Polytoca a disarticulated phy- 
tomer regularly bears at its lower end a sessile spikelet, and 
at or near its upper end, a short-pedicelled or sessile one, 
depending upon the extent of the fusion of the pedicel with 
Fig. 25. Portion of inflorescence of Polytoca, with spathe removed. 
St, staminate spikelets; R, rachis of inflorescence; P, pistillate spikelet; 
Sp, node at which the spathe was attached. 
Figs. 26 and 27. Pairing of spikelets in Polytoca. SS, sessile 
staminate spikelet; PS, pedicelled staminate spikelet, whose pedicel (P) 
is partly united with the rachis (R); F, pistillate spikelet; St, sterile 
pedicelled mate of the pistillate spikelet, the pedicel being united with the 
rachis; S, style. 
