566 
CLVII. GRAMINE^S (Stapf). 
[. Axonopus . 
rhachis of very slender spikes or spike-like racemes ; lower floret 
barren, reduced to the valve ; upper floret Glumes : the lower 
suppressed, the upper equal to the spikelet, membranous, very finely 
or faintly 5-4-nerved. Lower floret : valve very similar to the 
upper glume, with the nerves still finer and the middle-nerve often 
absent. Upper floret : valve chartaceous to crustaceous, with firm 
margins, obtuse, emucronate, faintly 4-nerved ; valvule equal or 
subequal to the valve and similar in substance, tightly embraced by 
the narrowly involute margins of the valve. Lodicules 2, minute, 
broadly cuneate. Stamens 3. Styles distinct ; stigmas laterally 
exserted near the tip of the floret. Grain tightly enclosed by the 
slightly hardened valve and valvule, elliptic, dorsally much com- 
pressed, flat on both sides ; hilum subbasal, punctiform ; embryo 
less than half the length of the grain. — Stoloniferous or csespitose 
perennials ; blades more or less linear, flat or folded or involute ; 
ligules very narrow, membranous ; spikes 2 or more, often very 
many, digitate or subdigitate, if many then usually crowded on a 
short common axis, sessile, simple ; spikelets usually small to very 
small, and closely appressed to the rhachis which is sometimes 
chambered by the rudimentary pedicels and their widened insertions 
forming crossbars running from the facial angle to the margin. 
Species about 35, mostly in tropical America, one also in Africa and introduced 
in other parts of the tropics. 
As to the application of Beauvois’ name Axonojms to this group, see Chase in 
Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xxiv. 129-131. 
1. A. compressus, P. Beauv. Agrost. 154. Perennial, J-2 ft. high, 
in small tufts and solitary culms from a very slender rhizome densely 
covered with the scars of decayed cataphylls and from long slender 
creeping and rooting runners. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 
1-3-noded, slender, more or less compressed or angular below, 
glabrous, smooth. Leaf-sheaths compressed, the basal very much 
so, crowded and flabellate, somewhat thin and pale, all quite glabrous, 
rarely sparingly hairy, striate and smooth ; ligules a narrow mem- 
branous rim, minutely ciliolate ; blades lanceolate-linear to linear 
from a frequently more or less rounded base, obtuse or subobtuse, 
more rarely shortly acute, 2-5 in. by 2-6 lin., folded or flat, bright 
green, quite glabrous or rigidly ciliate, rarely loosely hairy all over, 
midrib and primary lateral nerves (up to 5 on each side) very slender, 
but quite distinct below. Inflorescence of 2-3 or sometimes up to 
5 subdigitate sessile erect or spreading spikes ; common axis very 
slender, angular, glabrous, if 3 or more spikes the lowest internode 
often over 1 in. long. Spikes very slender, 2-4 in. by J to over \ lin., 
straight or (if long) flexuous, green, glabrous ; rhachis triquetrous, 
mostly less than J lin. wide, green with narrow herbaceous margins 
or wings, angles scaberulous or almost smooth, internodes j-J lin. 
long ; pedicels solitary, alternately to the right and the left of the 
