A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 13

Female plant--1. A branch with female inflorescence; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. palea of the fourth glume; 7. ovary and the lodicules.]

_Distribution._--Throughout the sandy coasts of India and Ceylon.

7. Axonopus, _Beauv._

These are annual or perennial gra.s.ses. Inflorescence is a panicle consisting of digitate or whorled, slender or stout spike-like racemes.

Spikelets are solitary, binate or fasciculate, 2-flowered, jointed on the pedicel and awned. There are four glumes. The first glume is the shortest, ovate, ac.u.minate, aristate or cuspidate, hyaline, glabrous and 3-nerved. The second glume is ovate or ovate-lanceolate, ac.u.minate or awned, 5-nerved, lateral nerves being marginal and hairy. The third glume is oblong or oblong ovate, acute, 5-nerved, paleate, male; palea is very short and small, bipart.i.te. The fourth glume is as long as the third and the second, oblong or ovate, coriaceous, narrowed into a straight terminal awn, paleate and bis.e.xual; palea is oblong, coriaceous and 2-nerved. Lodicules are cuneate. Stamens are three with linear anthers. Stigmas are linear, laterally exserted. Grain is oblong, free within the hardened glume and its palea.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 107.--Axonopus cimicinus.]

=Axonopus cimicinus, _Beauv._=

It is a perennial gra.s.s. Stems are tufted, erect or slightly dec.u.mbent at the base, 1 to 2 feet long.

The _leaf-sheath_ is distinctly striate, covered with scattered long tubercle-based hairs, very rarely glabrous, keeled. The _ligule_ consists of a row of hairs. The _nodes_ are hairy.

The _leaf-blade_ is flat, ovate-lanceolate, broad and cordate at base, subacute or obtuse, with a distinct midrib and three main veins on each side of it, glabrous on both sides, but usually with tubercle-based hairs on the two sides of the midrib, on the lower side, the margins are distinctly ciliate with tubercle-based long stiff hairs and very finely serrate; the blade varies in length from 3/4 to 3 inches and in breadth from 3/4 to 1/2 inch.

The _inflorescence_ consists of three to ten spikes springing from the top of a slender glabrous peduncle 2 to 6 inches long. The _spikes_ are whorled, about 3 inches or so in length, naked towards the base to about one-fourth of its length, the rachis is fine, filiform, scabrid.

The _spikelets_ are solitary or binate, dorsally compressed, pale green or reddish, very shortly pedicelled, 1/4 to 5/16 inch long inclusive of the short awn, pedicel is cupular at the tip.

There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is somewhat narrow ovate-lanceolate, hyaline, ac.u.minate and 3-nerved. The _second glume_ is membranous, ovate-lanceolate, twice as long as the _first glume_, cuspidately ac.u.minate, 5-nerved; the two marginal nerves are provided with long reddish bristly hairs. The _third glume_ is oblong lanceolate, obtuse, 5-nerved, a little shorter than the second glume, paleate and with stamens; _palea_ is short. The _fourth glume_ is coriaceous, ovate-lanceolate, nearly as long as the second glume, awned at the apex, paleate, with three stamens and an ovary; the _palea_ is as long as the glume, elliptic oblong, obtuse. _Lodicules_ are small, cuneate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 108.--Axonopus cimicinus.

1. A portion of the spike showing spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 4a and 5a. the palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. lodicules, stamens and the ovary.]

This is a common gra.s.s growing in the plains and lower hills in waste places.

_Distribution._--Occurs all over India.

8. Setaria, _Beauv._

These are usually annuals. Inflorescence is usually a spike-like panicle. Spikelets are 1- to 2-flowered, jointed on very short pedicels which bear persistent scabrid or barbed bristles (modified branchlets).

There are four glumes. The first glume is the shortest, equal to about half the length of the third, membranous, 3- to 5-nerved. The second glume is equal to or shorter than the fourth, 5- to 7-nerved. The third glume more or less exceeding and resembling the second glume, neuter, rarely paleate and male. The fourth glume is coriaceous or crustaceous, plano-convex, bis.e.xual, 5-nerved and paleate; palea is as long as the glume. Lodicules are broadly cuneate. Stamens are three. Stigmas are laterally exserted. Grain is tightly enclosed by the hardened glume and its palea and is oblong or ellipsoid.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Bristles with spreading or erect barbs.

Inflorescence cylindric, continuous and not interrupted, with six to twelve bristles in the involucel 1. S. glauca.

Inflorescence interrupted, with three to six bristles in the involucel 2. S. intermedia.

Bristles with reversed barbs 3. S. verticillata.

=Setaria glauca, _Beauv._=

This is a tufted annual gra.s.s. Stems are slender, simple or branched, erect or ascending.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are glabrous. _Nodes_ are glabrous and sometimes the lower are rooting. The _ligule_ is a fringe of long hairs.

The _leaf-blades_ are lanceolate-linear, flat, finely ac.u.minate, with a rounded base and very finely and minutely serrate margin, glabrous on both the surfaces or occasionally spa.r.s.ely hairy on the upper surface and varying in length from 4 to 12 inches or more, and in breadth from 1/4 to 1/3 inch.

The _inflorescence_ is a cylindric, densely flowered, spike-like raceme, 1 to 4 inches long, usually yellow, rarely purplish or pale green, the bristles of involucels vary from six to twelve and are pale or reddish brown, 1/6 to 1/3 inch long with fine erect or spreading barbs.

The _spikelets_ are numerous and are very closely set along the rachis of the inflorescence, 1/8 inch long, glabrous and ellipsoidal.

There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is less than half the length of the third glume, broadly ovate, hyaline, 3-nerved.

The _second glume_ is a little longer than the first but shorter than the third, broadly ovate or suborbicular, hyaline, 5-nerved. The _third glume_ is longer than the second, as long as the fourth, membranous and 5-nerved, paleate, empty or with stamens. The _fourth glume_ is coriaceous, broadly elliptic, obtuse, dorsally convex, transversely rugose, pale. The _anthers_ are orange and the _styles_ purple.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 109.--Setaria glauca.

A and B. spikelets; C. a bristle; 1, 2 and 3. The first, second and the third glume, respectively; 4. palea of the third glume; 5. the fourth glume; 6. palea of the fourth glume; 7. ovary, anthers and lodicules.]

This is a fairly common gra.s.s especially in cultivated ground all over the Presidency, but not very widely distributed. Cattle are fond of this gra.s.s.

_Distribution._--Throughout India.

=Setaria intermedia, _R. & S._=

This is an annual with straggling, slender, erect or ascending stems, 2 to 3 feet long.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, keeled, with the margins ciliate with long hairs. The _ligule_ is a fringe of close set long hairs. The _nodes_ are glabrous and the lower rooting.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate, narrowed towards the base, finely ac.u.minate, with fine hairs scattered on both the surfaces and with numerous long hairs at the mouth and with very finely serrate margins, varying in length from 2 to 8 inches or more, 1/8 to 3/4 inch in breadth.

The _inflorescence_ is a narrowly pyramidal spike-like panicle, 4 to 6 inches long, the main rachis is glabrous and grooved, branches are short, crowded above, scattered and distant below, with close and densely set spikelets; the bristles of involucels are 1/4 inch long, slender, flexuous with erect barbs varying in number from three to six.

The _spikelets_ are ovoid.

There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is...o...b..cular, oblong or ovate, about one-third the length of the third glume, hyaline, 3-nerved. The _second glume_ is half as long as the third, broadly ovate, hyaline, 5-nerved. The _third glume_ is as long as the fourth, broadly ovate, thinly membranous, 5-nerved, paleate, empty. The _fourth glume_ is broadly ovate, or suborbicular, very concave, coriaceous, transversely rugulose, yellowish brown. _Anthers_ are orange or yellow and _styles_ purplish. _Lodicules_ are very small.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 110.--Setaria intermedia.

1. A branch with spikelets; 2 and 2a. spikelets; 3, 4 and 5. the first, second and the third glume, respectively; 5a. the palea of the third glume; 6. the fourth glume; 6a. the fourth glume and its palea; 6b.

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

Fairly common in rich soils in sheltered places. Cattle are very fond of this gra.s.s as the leaves are flaccid and tender.

_Distribution._--Probably all over India.