A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 39

This is a densely tufted annual gra.s.s. Stems are usually erect, slender and simple, flaccid, 3 inches to 3 feet.

The _leaf-sheath_ is compressed, glabrous and bearded with long hairs close to the mouth. The _ligule_ is a ridge of hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is short, narrow, finely ac.u.minate, 1-1/2 to 4 inches.

The _panicle_ is oblong to pyramidal, flaccid, open or contracted erect or inclined, 2 to 8 inches; rachis is hairy or glabrous; branches are very fine filiform or capillary, more or less whorled, lower six inches long; branchlets are still finer and capillary.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 225.--Eragrostis pilosa.

1. A portion of a branch with spikelets; 2 and 3. empty glumes; 4.

flowering glumes; 5. palea; 6. grain.]

_Spikelets_ are linear, grey tipped with purple, or often purplish, scattered, 1/8 to 1/5 by 1/30 to 1/20 inch, with pedicels shorter or longer than the spikelets. The _empty glumes_ are hyaline, very unequal, nerveless or the second which is ovate-lanceolate and larger than the first faintly 1-nerved. The _flowering glumes_ are ovate acute, paleate, 1/10 to 1/8 inch; palea is sub-persistent and keels of palea scaberulous. _Stamens_ are three with small violet anthers. Grain is ellipsoid laterally pointed at the base.

This gra.s.s occurs in wet places or close to the margins of ponds, marshy situations all over the Presidency.

_Distribution._--All over India and also in South Europe and most warm countries.

=Eragrostis cynosuroides, _Beauv._=

This is a tall perennial gra.s.s freely branching from the base and with stout stolons covered with s.h.i.+ning sheaths. The root-stock is stout and creeping. The stems are tufted, smooth, erect, with fascicles of leaves at the base 1 to 3 feet high.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, slightly compressed, distinctly keeled, as broad or slightly broader than the blade at the mouth. _Ligule_ is a line of short hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear, rigid, glabrous, ac.u.minate with filiform tips, and finely serrulate margins, varying in length from 2 to 10 inches and the basal leaves sometimes reaching 20 inches.

The _panicle_ is strict, erect, narrowly pyramidal, often interrupted, varying in length from 6 to 18 inches and breadth from 1/2 to 2 inches.

Branches are many, short, crowded, densely clothed from the base with sessile, imbricating, much compressed deflexed spikelets.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 226.--Eragrostis cynosuroides.

1. A branch with spikelets; 2. flowering glumes with their palea; 3 and 4. empty glumes; 5 and 6. flowering glume and its palea.]

The _spikelets_ are secund, biseriate, s.h.i.+ning, pale brown, 1/2 inch long, up to 30-flowered. The _empty glumes_ are unequal, the second being the larger. The _flowering glumes_ are coriaceous, ovate, acute as long as the second or slightly longer, paleate, palea is sub-coriaceous and shorter than the glume. _Stamens_ are three. Grain is obliquely ovoid, laterally compressed.

This gra.s.s grows usually in moist sandy loams, sand dunes, and is very common on the Coromandel coast and in the Deccan Districts.

_Distribution._--Throughout in the plains of India.

=Eragrostis bifaria, _Wight Ex Steud._=

This is a densely tufted perennial gra.s.s. Stems are simple, erect, glabrous, somewhat compressed, 1 to 3 feet high, and the base clothed with the old remains of the leaf-sheaths.

The _leaf-sheath_ is scaberulous, keeled. The _ligule_ is a line of fine hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is wiry, narrow, linear, flexuous, rigid, acute, smooth, flat or complicate, keeled, 2 to 3 inches long and up to 1/6 inch wide.

The _spikes_ are solitary, 10 to 12 inches long bearing spikelets unilaterally.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 227.--Eragrostis bifaria.

1 and 1_a._ Spikelets; 2. and 3. empty glumes; 4 and 5. the flowering glume and its palea; 6. the ovary, stamens and the lodicules.]

The _spikelets_ are ovate or ovoid to oblong, much compressed, usually 15- to 20-flowered and up to 40 and then linear, 1/4 to 2/3 inch long, spreading, green or olive grey. The _empty glumes_ are one-nerved and keeled. The _first glume_ is longer than the second glume, very acute or ac.u.minate. The _second glume_ is smaller than the first, with stout rounded keel. The _flowering glumes_ are as long or slightly shorter than the first glume, broadly ovate, sub-ac.u.minate, with faint nerves and paleate; _palea_ is shorter than its glume and with ciliate wings to the keel. _Stamens_ are three. Grain is free.

This gra.s.s is very common in the plains in somewhat wet situations all over the Presidency.

_Distribution._--Deccan Peninsula in India and also in Tropical Africa.

43. Oropetium, _Trin._

A very small densely tufted erect annual. Leaves are filiform. The inflorescence is a simple slender curved spike. Spikelets are very minute, one-flowered, half immersed in the alternating distichous cavities of the rachis of the spike; rachilla is bearded. There are three glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is very minute, empty, hyaline and persistent. The second glume is linear-lanceolate, rigid, empty, persistent recurved when old, tip obtuse or emarginate. The third glume is shorter broader, hyaline, one-nerved, obtuse or truncate, _palea_ is narrow with smooth keel. Lodicules are not found. Stamens are three. Grain is oblong terete and free.

=Oropetium Thomaeum, _Trin._=

This is a very small densely tufted annual gra.s.s, never exceeding 3 inches in height and with compressed slender, tough stems.

The _leaf-sheath_ is compressed, membranous, short and open. The _ligule_ is an erect lacerate membrane.

The _leaf-blade_ is filiform, shorter or longer than the stem, erect or curved, coriaceous with the margins spa.r.s.ely ciliate with long strict hairs, 1/2 to 1 inch long.

The _spikes_ are solitary or fascicled curved on very short branches 1 to 1-1/2 inches long; rachis is green, undulating, tetragonous, with a broad central nerve on the flat faces.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 228.--Oropetium Thomaeum.

1. Spike; 2. spikelet; 3 and 4. empty glumes; 5. flowering glume; 6 and 7. flowering glume and its palea; 8. the ovary, stamens and lodicules.]

The _spikelets_ are very small, one-flowered, half immersed in the alternating distichous cavities of the rachis. There are three _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is very minute, hyaline and sunk in the hollow of the rachis. The _second glume_ is the longest, linear-lanceolate, rigid, tip obtuse or emarginate, slightly convex with a broad thickened centre and recurved in fruit. The _third glume_ is shorter than the second, hyaline, broader obtuse, semi-circular in profile, excessively membranous, with the callus bearded and paleate; _palea_ is smaller than the glume. There are three stamens. Grain is oblong, terete, free.

This small gra.s.s is very common all over the Presidency in the plains in moist places.

_Distribution._--Plains of India, Burma and Ceylon.