582 
CXIII. GRAMINEiE 
Common in watery places on the plains throughout India, ascending to 
6000 ft. — All warm countries ; occurs occasionally as a weed of cultivation in 
S. England. 
A variety, frumentaceum, is cultivated under the name of sawan in the 
lower hills as a rainy season crop ; in 1877 there were some fields of it below 
Merlin Park, Simla. The spike 'ets are without awns, crowded on numerous, 
incurved branches about 1 in. long. 
*3. Panicum colonum, Linn . ; FI. Br. Ind. vii. 32. Annual ; 
stems 2 ft. or more, erect or ascending. Leaves glabrous, long, 
it in. broad. Spikelets minutely hairy, in clusters of 3, one nearly 
sessile, the other two unequally stalked, crowded on the \-l in. 
long branches of an erect panicle. Lower empty glume ^ the 
length of the upper, both acute ; uppermost glume hard and white 
in fruit. 
Common in the plains throughout India, ascending to 5000 ft. ; sometimes 
cultivated. — All warm countries. 
The typical forms of P. Crus-galli and P. colonum are connected by inter- 
mediates and the variety frumentaceum has been referred to both species. 
Some botanists regard P. colonum as a variety of P. Crus-galli. 
4. Panicum villosum, Lamk . ; FI. Br. Ind. vii. 34. Annual ; 
stems hairy, 6-18 in., ascending. Leaves hairy, 1-2 in. long, up 
to \ in. broad, base stem-clasping. Spikelets hairy, nearly sessile, 
closely alternate on the several erect branches, often 1 in. long, of 
a narrow panicle. Lower empty glume about one third the length 
of the upper, both pointed ; uppermost glume abruptly narrowed 
at the lip into an acute point. 
Simla, near Kairi, 6500 ft. — Tropical and subtropical Himalaya, 3000- 
6000 ft. — China. 
5. Panicum psilopodium, Trin . ; FI. Br. Ind. vii. 46. Annual ; 
stems many, erect, 2-3 ft. Leaves glabrous, 4-12 x^-Jin., tapering 
to a fine point. Ligule a ring of hairs. Spikelets glabrous, in pairs 
or alternate, with long, unequal stalks on the numerous, very slender, 
rough branches of a narrow, erect panicle ; branches drooping in 
fruit. Lower empty glume broad, one third the length of the upper, 
shortly pointed ; uppermost glume white, shining. 
Simla. — Common in the plains, ascends to 6000 ft. — Tropical Asia. 
A variety, coloratura , having a violet or purple tinged panicle is the form 
usually seen in the hills. 
6. Panicum plicatum, Lamb . ; FI. Br. Ind. vii. 55. Perennial ; 
stems 2-6 ft., erect or ascending from a woody, branched stock. 
Leaves hairy, narrowly lanceolate, 6-12 x \-l in., tapering to a 
long, fine point, flat but more or less corrugated between the 
prominent nerves ; mouth of sheath fringed. Spikelets glabrous, 
nearly sessile, alternate on the short branches of a narrow, erect 
or drooping panicle 6-12 in. long ; branches often tinged with 
purple and usually ending in a stiff bristle. Empty glumes much 
