'Oplismenus.] 
CLVII. GRAMINEiE (Stapf). 
631 
Lodicules 2, broadly cuneate, often very delicate. Stamens 3. 
Styles distinct, long ; stigmas terminally or subterminally exserted, 
plumose. Grain tightly enclosed by the somewhat hardened valve 
and valvule, oblong ; hilum oblong, one-third to half the length of 
the grain. — Annual or more usually perennial, often weak grasses 
with slender many-noded ascending culms, the internodes of which 
have mostly a decurrent villous line adaxial to the subtending leaf ; 
blades flat, thin, often slightly asymmetrical, often minutely cross- 
veined ; lower and intermediate racemes mostly distant, the upper 
decreasing upwards and more or less approximate ; the awn of the 
lower glume the longest. 
Species about 15, in all the warmer parts of the world, but mostly tropical. 
Awns filiform, subobtuse, smooth, more or less viscous and 
often vividly coloured upwards. 
Spikelets or pairs of spikelets closely contiguous ; if in 
racemes, the lower racemes mostly distant by more 
than their own length ... ... ... ... 1. 0 . hirtellus. 
Spikelets or pairs of spikelets not contiguous, often 
conspicuously distant ; racemes long, the lower 
equalling or exceeding the adjacent internode ... 2. 0 . compositus. 
Awns capillary, flexuous, slightly rough, pale ... ... 3 0. Burmannii. 
1. 0. hirtellus, P. Beauv. Agrost. 54, 168. Perennial, up to several 
feet (according to Mann up to 8 ft.) high. Culms slender, ascending 
(occasionally climbing in trees) from an often long decumbent or 
rambling rooting base, the internodes of which are mostly strongly 
compressed, while its nodes emit often long aerial roots, terete 
upwards, many-noded, branched from the base, simple or subsimple 
upwards, glabrous or frequently very shortly hairy upwards or along 
a line adaxial to the supporting leaf. Leaf-sheaths rather tight, 
strongly striate, densely ciliate along the margin, otherwise usually 
glabrous except at the frequently pubescent nodes, rarely shortly 
hirsute upwards or all over, or eciliate and altogether glabrous, short 
or long ; ligules very short, truncate, ciliate ; blades lanceolate to 
linear-lanceolate from a distinctly constricted and slightly rounded 
base, acutely acuminate, l|-5 in. by 2-9 lin. (those of the lower 
leaves and barren shoots often small and ovate-lanceolate), flat, 
thin, flaccid to rigid, dull green, scantily and minutely hairy to almost 
velvety below, sometimes with scattered longer white hairs above, 
rarely quite glabrous, rough on the upper side, at least upwards, 
margins scabrid, midrib very slender, primary lateral nerves 2-4 on 
each side, usually obscure or not at all differentiated from the 
numerous secondary nerves, in the larger more rigid blades often 
with a tertiary nerve between each pair of secondary nerves and then 
mostly closely and finely striate above, frequently with short trans- 
verse veins. Inflorescence of 3-8 dense spike-like racemes on an. 
erect straight or flexuous semiterete or upwards triquetrous glabrous 
or finely pubescent axis, sometimes ciliate along its lateral angles. 
