A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 11

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is small, membranous, less than 1/2 of the third glume, ovate, acute or obtuse, 3- to 5-nerved. The _second glume_ is nearly equal to the third, ovate acute, generally 7-nerved and sometimes 7- to 13-nerved. The _third glume_ is similar to the second in shape, generally 5-nerved and occasionally 7-nerved, paleate with three stamens or empty; _palea_ 2-nerved, ovate or oblong, margins infolded. The _fourth glume_ is ovate or oblong, rugulose, chartaceous, apex with a distinct mucro concealed in the second and third glumes; _palea_ same as the glume in texture, etc. _Anthers_ are yellowish; _stigmas_ are feathery and purple in colour; _lodicules_ are small and fleshy.

This is an excellent fodder gra.s.s. Though it is an annual it grows rapidly under favourable conditions. A single plant found growing in the compound of the Agricultural College, Coimbatore, weighed 15 lb. and occupied 15 square feet of the ground. It flourishes in cultivated dry fields and in rich loamy soils. (See fig. 7.)

_Distribution._--Plains of India and Ceylon and in Tropical countries generally.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 95.--Panic.u.m ramosum.]

=Panic.u.m ramosum, _L._=

This is an annual with stems erect or ascending from a creeping base, rooting at the lower nodes, 1 to 2 feet long. The stem is slender or stout, usually glabrous though occasionally glabrescent or p.u.b.escent, channelled on one side, branched from base upwards, and leafy.

The _leaf-sheath_ is finely striate, keeled, thinly p.u.b.escent with the margins ciliate near the ligule. The _ligule_ is only a fringe of short hairs. _Nodes_ are softly hairy.

The _leaf-blade_ is flat, linear-lanceolate, ac.u.minate, softly p.u.b.escent or glabrescent on both the surfaces, with rounded or subcordate base and margins minutely serrate and ciliate, 2 to 6 inches long 1/6 to 1/2 inch broad; the midrib is distinct though slender with four to six main veins on each side.

The _inflorescence_ is a pyramidal panicle 2 to 6 inches long, consisting of usually five to ten (rarely also up to twenty) erect or spreading spikes. _Spikes_ are distant, alternate and in some the lower ones are opposite, 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches long or shorter. The _rachis_ of the spike is thin, angular and scaberulous.

The _spikelets_ are usually p.u.b.escent, ovoid or obovoid, acute, turgid, 1/8 inch, pale green and some occasionally purplish on one side, alternate close or distant, in pairs lower down and then one with a somewhat longer pedicel, solitary in the upper portions, pedicels with hairs, some of them especially those near the apex being longer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 96.--Panic.u.m ramosum.

1 and 2. Back and front view of spike; 3 and 4. front and back view of a spikelet; 5 and 6. first and second glumes; 7 and 8. third glume and its palea; 9 and 10. fourth glume and its palea; 11. ovary, anthers and lodicules.]

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is nearly half the length of the third glume, broadly ovate, subacute, margin overlapping at the base, and usually 5-nerved. The _second glume_ is broadly ovate acute, rather cuspidate, usually 5-nerved (rarely 7-nerved). The _third glume_ is similar to the second glume, 5-nerved, paleate, empty; _palea_ is hyaline oblong, acute. The _fourth glume_ is ovoid-oblong, acute, coriaceous, rugulose, with short broadened stipes, and three faint nerves; _palea_ similar to the glume in texture and markings. _Anthers_ are orange-yellow; _style_ branches are purple. _Lodicules_ are small and fleshy.

This gra.s.s is a common weed found in dry cultivated fields and open waste places and is one of the best fodder gra.s.ses available.

_Distribution._--Plains throughout India and in Afghanistan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 97.--Panic.u.m distachyum.]

=Panic.u.m distachyum, _L._=

This gra.s.s is an annual. Stems are slender, rarely stout, creeping and rooting at the nodes, pale green or purplish, with erect or ascending slender branches, varying in length from 10 to 15 inches, glabrous or p.u.b.escent, channelled near the nodes.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous or glabrescent and sometimes hirsute; margin is ciliate. The _ligule_ is a fringe of short hairs. _Nodes_ are glabrous or p.u.b.escent.

The _leaf-blade_ is lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, base cordate and subamplexicaul, glabrous or rarely spa.r.s.ely hairy on both sides; margins are wavy here and there, finely serrate with tubercle-based hairs towards the base, the midrib is slender, not prominent and veins not distinct. There is considerable variation in leaves especially in the length. In the ordinary form it varies from 1/2 to 3 inches and even up to 6 or 7 inches sometimes in length and the breadth from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. In one form which is separated as a variety (var. _brevifolium_, Wight and Arnott,) the leaves are always short and broad, ovate-lanceolate never exceeding 1 inch in length.

The _inflorescence_ consists of two or three, very rarely four erect or spreading distant spikes on a somewhat slender very hairy peduncle.

_Spikes_ are from 1/2 to 2 inches; _rachis_ is slender, flexuous, flattened, scaberulous, with a few long hairs scattered singly along the margins or without these hairs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 98.--Panic.u.m distachyum.

1 and 2. Front and back view of a portion of a spike; 3, 4, 5, and 6.

the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 5a and 6a.

palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 7. anthers and ovary.]

The _spikelets_ are glabrous, ovate-oblong, acute, 1/8 inch, 1- or 2-seriate, subsessile, pale green, occasionally purplish on one side.

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is membranous, broadly ovate, obtuse with margins overlapping at the base, hardly half the length of the third glume, usually 5-nerved but occasionally 7-nerved. The attachment of the first glume is not close to that of the second glume but is far lower. The _second glume_ is ovate-acute, 7-nerved. The _third glume_ is equal to the second, 5-nerved, paleate, empty; the _palea_ is narrow, hyaline, acute. The _fourth glume_ is ellipsoidal, obtuse, chartaceous, minutely and obscurely rugulose, faintly 3-nerved, with the base somewhat thickened. _Palea_ is similar to the glume in texture. _Anthers_ are orange-yellow. _Lodicules_ are minute and fleshy.

Style branches are purple.

This gra.s.s is fairly common in open and loamy and sandy soils. The form (var. _brevifolium_, Wight & Arnott) is fairly common in Coimbatore District.

_Distribution._--Plains of India and Ceylon. Not recorded from the Bombay Presidency. It occurs in China, Malaya and Australia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 99.--Panic.u.m interruptum.]

=Panic.u.m interruptum, _Willd._=

This is a large perennial gra.s.s with stems reaching 5 to 6 feet in length, flouris.h.i.+ng in marshes and in the edges of ponds and tanks.

The stems are long, stout and spongy below, ascending from a creeping and rooting or floating root-stock; the lower internodes are often 1/2 inch or more in thickness, with nodes bearing in fascicles long stout roots clothed with fine lateral roots; and the upper internodes are long and slender.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, striate. The _ligule_ is a short broad membrane.

The _leaf-blade_ is soft, flat, many-nerved, linear, finely ac.u.minate, margins smooth, base rounded or subcordate, glabrous, 6 to 12 inches long, 1/4 to 1/2 inch broad.

The _inflorescence_ is a strict spike-like panicle, 6 to 12 inches long by 1/4 to 1/3 inch broad, cylindric, interrupted below; the rachis terete, stout, channelled.

The _spikelets_ are glabrous, green, herbaceous, densely packed in small fascicles, ovoid lanceolate, 1/6 to 1/5 inch long; many spikelets are imperfect.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 100.--Panic.u.m interruptum.

1 and 2. Front and back view of a spikelet; 3. first glume; 4. second glume; 5. third glume; 6. palea of third glume; 7 and 8. the fourth glume and its palea; 9. ovary, lodicules and stamens.]

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is hyaline, membranous, about 1/3 the length of the third glume, broadly ovate or orbicular, obtuse, 5-nerved. The _second glume_ is membranous, ovate-oblong, obtuse, prominently 9-nerved. The _third glume_ is as long as the second but broader, ovate-oblong, 9-nerved, paleate; _palea_ is small with three stamens or without them. The _fourth glume_ is shorter than the third glume, lanceolate, subacute, thinly coriaceous white, polished, dorsally convex; the _palea_ is as long as the glume and thinly coriaceous. There are two small _lodicules_.

This is a rank marsh gra.s.s growing abundantly in permanent marshes and edges of tanks and ponds. Cattle eat this along with other gra.s.ses, when young and not covered with algae.

_Distribution._--In swampy situations throughout India and Ceylon.

=Panic.u.m trypheron, _Schult._=

The plant is a tufted annual leafy at the base, with branches spreading a little at the base and then erect, varying in length from 1/2 to 3 feet. Stems are stout or slender, cylindric or slightly compressed towards the base.

The _leaf-sheath_ is striated, green or purple tinged, shorter than the internodes, the upper portion hairy (sometimes tubercle-based) and the lower glabrous, with sometimes ciliate margin. The _ligule_ is a short membrane with a fringe of slender hair-like processes. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is flat, convolute when young, linear-lanceolate, acute or narrow linear-lanceolate, ac.u.minate, hairy on both sides (hairs indistinctly bulbous-based); margin is very minutely serrate and often ciliate with tubercle-based hairs; base is narrowed, slightly rounded or cordate; midrib is conspicuous though narrow and keeled; length 1 to 7 inches and breadth 1/8 to 3/8 inch.

The _inflorescence_ is a diffuse panicle 4 to 14 inches long with filiform, divaricate, scaberulous, angled branches; the main _rachis_ is angular, smooth below and scaberulous above; peduncle is cylindric, striate, 2 to 12 inches long. Branches are irregularly distantly alternate, solitary or rarely two, swollen at base, dividing into slender filiform spreading branchlets; the lower branches from 3 to 7 inches in length and getting shorter upwards. Branchlets are 1/2 to 3 inches, capillary, angular and further dividing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 101.--Panic.u.m trypheron.