A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 33

1. Front and back view of a portion of spike; 2. a single spikelet; 3. a spikelet with the flower out; 4. the third glume, its palea and the produced rachilla with a minute glume; 5. clavellate hairs; 6. ovary; 7.

lodicules; 8. grain.]

The _inflorescence_ consists of three to five digitate spikes, 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long, erect or spreading, pale green or purplish. The _spikelets_ are compressed laterally, sessile or obscurely pedicelled, imbricate, alternately biseriate on the ventral side of the rachis, 1-flowered; the _rachilla_ is produced into a bristle behind the palea, with or without a minute glume. There are three _glumes_. The _first glume_ is lanceolate, acute, shorter than the second, with a keel which is scabrid. The _second glume_ is lanceolate, ac.u.minate, equal to or a little longer than the third glume with a scabrid keel. The _third glume_ is obliquely oblong to ovate, subacute, truncate or 2-toothed, boat-shaped, sub-chartaceous, 3-nerved, paleate and distinctly keeled; the keel and the margins of the glume are densely covered with distinctly clavellate hairs; _palea_ is firmly membranous, equal to or slightly smaller than the glume, linear-oblong, 2-keeled, densely hairy with clavellate hairs along the keels, and 2-nerved. There are two _lodicules_ and three _stamens_. The _ovary_ is ovoid with two style branches. Grain is free within the glume, oblong, smooth, transparent, and the embryo is about one-third the length of the grain.

This species is closely allied to _Cynodon dactylon_, Pers., but differs from it in the following respects:--The absence of stoloniferous underground branches, leaves short and not finely pointed; spikes not exceeding five; the _second glume_ is always equal to or longer than the _third glume_; presence of clavellate hairs on the keels and margins of the third glume and on the keels of the palea.

_Distribution._--So far collected in Coimbatore, Salem, Tinnevelly, Chingleput and G.o.davari districts.

36. Chloris, _Sw._

These are annual or perennial gra.s.ses. Spikes are solitary or many in terminal umbels or short racemes, erect or spreading. Spikelets are unilateral, sessile, crowded, biseriate on a slender rachis with four to six glumes and 1 to 3-flowered; the rachilla is produced and disarticulating above the empty glumes. The first two glumes are unequal, narrow, keeled, membranous, 1-nerved, persistent, acute, mucronate and the second glume awned shortly. Floral glumes narrow or broad, acute, obtuse or minutely 2-toothed and awned, paleate; sterile glumes are small, without palea. There are two lodicules and anthers are rather small. Grain is narrow and free.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

Spikelets 1-flowered.

Perennial.

Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glumes and bearing awns with rudimentary glumes.

Spikes 4 to 10, long, whorled; spikelets narrow fusiform; glume III oblong lanceolate. 1. C. incompleta.

Rachilla produced beyond the flowering glume and bearing 1 to 3 reduced glumes.

Spikes free at the base, digitate.

Spikes 6 to 9; spikelets 2-awned; glume III ovate, bearded with long hairs above the middle. 3. C. virgata.

Spikes 4 to 20; spikelets 3-awned; glume III broadly ovate, densely bearded dorsally and on the margins above the middle. 4. C. barbata.

Spikes connate at the base, erect and not spreading.

Spikes 2 to 6; spikelets narrow 4-awned, glume III ovate-lanceolate, bearded only on the margins and not at the back. 6. C. montana.

Annual.

Spike solitary, spikelets broadly cuneiform, 3-awned, glume III broadly cuneate, upper margins naked and keel villous. 2. C. tenella.

Spikelets 1- to 3-flowered.

Perennial.

Spikes 5-9, spikelets broadly cuneate 3 to 5-awned, glume III bearded all through the margin and dorsally. 5. C. Bournei.

=Chloris incompleta, _Roth._=

This is a perennial gra.s.s. Stems are proc.u.mbent when growing in open places, but erect if growing amidst bushes, often branched, ending in long naked peduncles, varying in length from 1-1/2 to 4 feet. In some cases prostrate stems produce roots at the nodes.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are long, glabrous, the mouth being generally hairy.

The _ligule_ consists of long hairs. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blades_ are linear, flat, finely ac.u.minate and narrowed into very long points at the apex; glabrous or slightly hairy at the base and contracted, 4 to 10 inches long and 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad.

The _inflorescence_ consists of two to five rarely six, very slender spikes, 3 to 8 inches long, forming a terminal whorl. The rachis is fine and scabrid.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 196.--Chloris incompleta.

1. A portion of the rachis with two spikelets; 2. the third glume and its palea with the rudimentary fourth glume; 3 and 4. the first and the second glumes; 5 and 6. the third glume and its palea; 7. the ovary, anthers and lodicules.]

_Spikelets_ are narrowly lanceolate, closely appressed and imbricate, 1/6 inch long excluding the awn and very variable. There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is very small linear-lanceolate, acute, about 1/10 inch or less. The _second glume_ is lanceolate, membranous, three times the length of the first glume, 2-toothed at the apex and the mid-nerve produced into a very short awn.

The _third glume_ is oblong-lanceolate as long as the second glume or longer, 2-toothed at the apex, awned, the awn being about 3/8 inch long; the callus is bearded at the base. The palea is as long as the glume, 2-toothed or not at the apex. The _fourth glume_ is very minute, awned and is borne by a rachilla produced to half the length of the third glume.

This gra.s.s is fairly common and grows in all situations and in all sorts of soils.

_Distribution._--This occurs all over the Presidency in the plains.

=Chloris tenella, _Roxb._=

This gra.s.s is a very slender annual with weak stems, branched from the base, 10 to 18 inches long.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, compressed and keeled. The _ligule_ is a truncate membrane. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear to linear-lanceolate, flaccid, finely ac.u.minate with the margin more or less ciliate towards the base, 3 to 8 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide.

The _spikes_ are solitary, erect. 1 to 2-1/2 inches long.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 197.--Chloris tenella.

1. A portion of the spike; 2. a spikelet; 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

the glumes in regular order beginning with the first; 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a and 9b. are the palea of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and the seventh glumes, respectively; 5b. grain.]

The _spikelets_ are large about 1/4 inch long cuneate and bifarious.

There are usually five to six _glumes_ (and rarely up to eight). The _first glume_ is ovate-lanceolate, acute and hyaline, 1-nerved. The _second glume_ is a little longer and broader than the first glume, 1-nerved and this mid-nerve produced into a very short awn. The _third glume_ is as long as the second or longer, coriaceous, obovate and truncate at the top, 3-nerved and the marginal nerves distant from the margin, keel and the lateral nerves villous to about three-fourths their length, scabrid at the apex close to the truncate margin, paleate; _palea_ is elliptic, with ciliate margins, callus is densely villous.

The _fourth glume_ is nearly half or a little more than half of the third glume, narrower, paleate; _palea_ is elliptic. The succeeding glumes _fifth_ to the _eighth_ are similar to the fourth in shape but they get smaller and smaller and the last glume is epaleate. The third glume is usually grain bearing, but rarely the fourth also may contain a grain, the remaining glumes being sterile. Grain is oblong, lenticular, brownish.

This gra.s.s is widely spread in the Ceded districts and appears to be a good fodder gra.s.s.

_Distribution._--Southern India, Rajputana, Scind and Khandeish.

=Chloris virgata, _Sw._=

This gra.s.s seems to be a perennial. The stems are somewhat flattened, erect, tufted, leafy at the base and occasionally with creeping stems rooting at the lower nodes varying in length from 10 to 21 inches.