A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 7

This is an annual gra.s.s either with erect tall stems or long prostrate stems, varying in length from 1 to 3 feet or more.

The _leaf-sheath_ is herbaceous, loose and glabrous. The _ligule_ is a distinct membrane. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate or linear, flat, glabrous or very spa.r.s.ely hairy, varying in length from 2 to 5 or 6 inches and in breadth from 1/6 to 1/3 inch.

The _spikes_ are usually few, 2 to 6, 3 to 6 inches long, with a triquetrous, narrowly winged rachis.

The _spikelets_ are oblong, acute, binate, one pedicel being shorter than the other, usually appressed to the rachis and not spreading.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 72.--Digitaria sanguinalis. _Var. ciliaris_.

1. A portion of the spike showing the binate spikelets; 2. a spikelet; 3. the minute scale-like first glume; 4, 5 and 6. the second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 7. the palea of the fourth glume.]

There are four _glumes_ including the minute glume. The _first glume_ is a very minute scale. The _second glume_ is about half as long as the third glume, membranous, usually 3-nerved and sometimes 3- to 5-nerved, distinctly ciliate. The _third glume_ is oblong-lanceolate, acute, membranous, 3- to 5-nerved, sparingly hairy in the lower spikelet and densely bearded with soft spreading hairs in the upper spikelet. The _fourth glume_ is lanceolate, or oblong-lanceolate, acute, somewhat chartaceous, paleate; _palea_ is like the glume in texture. _Anthers_ are pale yellow. _Stigmas_ are white. There are two small cuneate _lodicules_.

This is an excellent fodder gra.s.s. It grows well in all kinds of soils, rich or poor, and is very common in dry fields brought under cultivation.

_Distribution._--Throughout India.

=Digitaria sanguinalis, _Scop._=

_Var. Griffithii._

This is an annual with stems ascending from a prostrate or geniculate base, glabrous and varying in length from 1 to 3 feet.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, thinly herbaceous and loose. The _ligule_ is a distinct membrane and the _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear or linear-lanceolate, flat, ac.u.minate, varying in length from 2 inches to 12 inches and in breadth 1/6 to 1/3 inch.

The _inflorescence_ is of several slender spikes, usually drooping, 2 to 4 inches; the rachis is filiform and trigonous.

The _spikelets_ are linear-lanceolate, solitary or in distant pairs, glabrous or ciliate, pedicelled and when binate the upper pedicel often longer than the spikelets, usually spreading and not appressed to the rachis.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 73.--Digitaria sanguinalis, _Var. Griffithii_.

1. Inflorescence; 2. a portion of the spike; 3 and 4. sessile and pedicelled spikelets front and back view, respectively; 5. the scale-like first glume; 6, 7 and 8. the second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 9. palea of the fourth glume; 10. the lodicules, stamens and the ovary.]

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is a minute scale. The _second glume_ is shorter than the third and narrower, 5-nerved, ciliate, acute or sometimes with two fine teeth. The _third glume_ is oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5-nerved (rarely 3-nerved), ciliate on the nerves. The _fourth glume_ is lanceolate, acute, sub-chartaceous, paleate; _palea_ is like the glume in texture. _Anthers_ are yellow and _stigmas_ are white. _Lodicules_ are two and small.

This seems to be a good fodder gra.s.s. It grows in all kinds of soils. It is not so common in the plains as on the hills, though it occurs in the plains at the base of the hills.

_Distribution._--Throughout India.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 74.--Digitaria sanguinalis, _Var. extensum_.]

=Digitaria sanguinalis, _Scop._=

_Var. extensum._

This gra.s.s is an annual with stems ascending from a prostrate or geniculate, rooting branched base, greenish or purplish, glabrous and varying in length from 1 to 2-1/2 feet.

The _leaf-sheath_ is thin, herbaceous, rather loose, keeled and glabrous. The _ligule_ is a distinct membrane, truncate, rarely irregularly toothed. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate, ac.u.minate, flat when mature and convolute when young, glabrous, 1 to 12 inches long and 1/6 to 1/3 inch broad, the margin is very closely and finely serrate, the midrib is prominent with three or four main veins on each side.

The _inflorescence_ consists of a few or many spikes, corymbosely arranged on a short angular slightly rough axis, erect or spreading, 1-1/2 to 4 inches long, the lowest ones in whorls of two to four; the rachis is nearly triquetrous, laterally winged, base thickened and with a few long white hairs; the peduncle is cylindric, smooth, 6 to 12 inches long.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 75.--Digitaria sanguinalis, _Var. extensum_.

1. A portion of spike; 2, 3 and 3a. the back and front views of a spikelet; 4, 5 and 6 the first, second and the third glume, respectively; 7. palea of the third glume; 8. anthers, lodicules and the ovary.]

The _spikelets_ are oblong-lanceolate, acute, about 1/10 inch long, binate, one pedicelled and the other subsessile, the pedicel is angular, about 1/2 to 2/3 the length of the spikelet.

There are three _glumes_ in the spikelet corresponding to the second, third and fourth glumes of a Panic.u.m, the first glume being obsolete.

The _first glume_ is membranous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, about 1/3 the length of the spikelet or very much less, 3-nerved, densely ciliate along the margins and silkily hairy between the nerves. The _second glume_ is greenish, oblong lanceolate, acute, ciliate along the margins and with fine appressed silky hairs between the lateral nerves, 5-nerved, palea is very minute or absent. The _third glume_ is oblong, sub-ac.u.minate, a little shorter than the second glume, 3-nerved, sub-chartaceous, paleate; _palea_ is similar to the glume in texture.

_Anthers_ are pale yellow with a tinge of purple. _Stigmas_ are white.

_Lodicules_ are two, minute and cuneate.

This is an excellent fodder gra.s.s and is very much liked by cattle. It grows very rapidly and is found in cultivated fields and in somewhat rich loamy soils.

_Distribution._--Throughout the Presidency in the plains and low hills.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 76.--Digitaria longiflora.]

=Digitaria longiflora, _Pers._=

This is a perennial gra.s.s with short underground branches covered with scales. Stems are many, tufted, slender, creeping and rooting, or ascending and suberect, simple or branched, 6 to 20 inches long and leafy and leaves bifarious and divaricate.

_Leaf-sheaths_ are hairy or glabrous, compressed, keeled. The _ligule_ is a short membrane. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

_Leaf-blades_ are broadly lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, spreading, flat, or in short-leaved forms, stiff and pungent, 1 to 2 inches long (rarely also 5 inches long), glabrous above and below, ciliate at the margins towards the base, and with a very minutely serrate hyaline margin.

The _inflorescence_ consists of two to four terminal spikes with a slender, long, hairy or glabrous peduncle. The spikes are slender, erect or spreading with fine winged glabrous rachis.

The _spikelets_ are small, 1/20 to 1/14 inch, geminate, one short and the other long pedicelled, appressed to the rachis, elliptic, silky with slender crisped hairs, pale green or purplish.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 77.--Digitaria longiflora.

1. A portion of the spike; 2. the first glume; 3 and 4. the second and third glumes; 5 and 6. the fourth glume and its palea; 7. lodicules, ovary and stamens.]

There are three _glumes_ with a rudimentary first glume. The _first glume_ is very minute and hyaline. The _second glume_ is as long as the third, membranous, 5-nerved (rarely 3- to 7-nerved), silkily hairy. The _third glume_ is similar to the second and usually 7-nerved (rarely 3- to 5-nerved). The _fourth glume_ is sub-chartaceous, ovate-oblong, paleate, slightly shorter than the third glume, pale brown, smooth.

There are two small _lodicules_. Styles are long and purple.

This gra.s.s grows in cultivated dry fields. It seems to like a sandy loamy soil.

_Distribution._--Throughout India.