A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 26

1. Full plant; 2. base of the leaf and ligule.]

=Andropogon annulatus, _Forsk._=

This is a densely tufted perennial gra.s.s.

The main stem is underground, rhizomiferous, and covered with scale leaves; branches are many arising in tufts, leafy, proc.u.mbent at base and afterwards geniculately ascending and ending in inflorescence, occasionally rooting at the nodes and varying in length from 2 to 3 feet. The internodes vary from 1-1/2 to 4 inches, pale or purplish, slightly flattened, smooth and glabrous.

The _leaf-sheath_ is terete, glabrous, s.h.i.+ning, green or purplish, closed, with margins where separate ciliated and profusely so at the tip especially the outer or both. The _ligule_ is membranous truncate, glabrous, about 1/16 inch in height. _Nodes_ are purple and softly villous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 161.--Andropogon annulatus.

1. Front and back views of a portion of the spike; 2. a sessile and a pedicelled spikelet; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 7. the ovary, stamens and lodicules; 8, 9 and 10. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelet.]

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate, ac.u.minate, scabrid, spa.r.s.ely hairy, becoming glabrous except at the base and with tubercle-based hairs on the upper surface.

_The spikes_ vary in number from two to nine, erect or slightly spreading, subdigitately fascicled, pale when young and pinkish or brown when old, varying in length from 1 to 2-1/2 inches. The stalk of the whole inflorescence is long, slender, smooth and glabrous. The _peduncle_ of the spikes is from 1/8 to 1/6 of an inch long, thin, slender, glabrous with swollen bases and with a ring of hairs at the node. _Joints_ of the _rachis_ and the _pedicels_ are slightly flattened, ciliated along the narrow edges; the _pedicels_ of the stalked spikelets are half as long as the sessile spikelets. The spikelets are one sessile and one pedicelled and imbricating on the rachis.

The _sessile spikelet_ is as long as the stalked or a little less, with a thick callus, shortly bearded at the base or sometimes glabrous and consists of four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is elliptic-oblong or oblong, obtuse or truncate, irregularly 2- or 3-toothed, 5- to 9-nerved, spa.r.s.ely villous with long hairs and margins slightly infolded. The _second glume_ is smaller than the first glume, acute, membranous, 3-nerved and keeled, the margins are ciliate and infolded. The _third glume_ is hyaline, linear, acute, or obtuse, nerveless spa.r.s.ely hairy at the tip, very much shorter than the second glume. The _fourth glume_ is an _awn_ with a linear hyaline base, erect, about an inch long.

_Stamens_ are three, _ovary_ is oblong with two feathery, dark purple _stigmas_. _Lodicules_ are two, cuneate.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are male and consist of only three glumes.

The _first glume_ is elliptic, oblong, irregularly obtuse, about 11-nerved, margins slightly infolded with long pilose hairs throughout, more along the margin. The _second glume_ is a little smaller, 3-nerved, spa.r.s.ely hairy only along the marginal nerves, folded inwards, and slightly keeled. The _third glume_ is shorter than the second, hyaline, nerveless, narrow-lanceolate, acute; _stamens_ are three, with green anthers, purple-dotted. _Lodicules_ are two, broad and cuneate.

This gra.s.s is found flouris.h.i.+ng all over India and grows in cultivated fields and gardens and likes sheltered places. This yields a considerable amount of fodder and stands cutting well.

_Distribution._ Throughout India in the hills and the plains.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 162.--Andropogon contortus.]

=Andropogon contortus, _L._=

(_Heteropogon contortus_, Beauv.)

This is a tufted perennial.

The stems are erect or slightly dec.u.mbent below, slender, rather compressed towards the base, leafy at the base, simple or branched, densely tufted and varying in length from 1 to 3 or 4 feet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 163.--Andropogon contortus.

1. Lower pair of sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 2. upper pair of sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of pedicelled spikelets; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 11. ovary.]

The _leaf-sheath_ is smooth or spa.r.s.ely hairy, compressed and shortly auricled or not at the mouth. The _ligule_ is short, truncate and ciliolate.

The _leaf-blades_ are linear, acute or abruptly ac.u.minate, flat, rigid, sparingly ciliate above, with tubercle-based hairs towards the base, scaberulous throughout, and 2 to 12 inches long or more, 1/10 to 1/5 inch broad.

The _inflorescence_ consists of a solitary spike with closely imbricating spikelets.

The _spikelets_ are all on one side, and the lower two to six pairs of pedicelled and sessile spikelets are all males. The _sessile spikelets_ are all female and awned, except the few lower which are male and awnless, 1/4 inch long. The _callus_ is long, acute, bearded with reddish-brown hairs. There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is narrow, linear-oblong, truncate or rounded, somewhat brown, many-nerved, hispid, with incurved margins and membranous tip. The _second glume_ is linear, obtuse, coriaceous, dark-brown, hispidulous, 3-nerved with incurved margins. The _third glume_ is oblong, hyaline, thin, nerveless, short and truncate. The _fourth glume_ is reduced to an awn, 3 inches or more in length. The _ovary_ is linear with two long _stigmas_.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are somewhat longer than the sessile 1/3 to 1/2 inch, with very short pedicels. The _first glume_ is lanceolate, obliquely twisted, hispid at the back with long bulbous-based hairs, margins more or less unequally winged. The _second glume_ is oblong lanceolate, ac.u.minate, 5-nerved, thinly ciliate with hyaline margins.

The _third glume_ is oblong, hyaline, 1-nerved and ciliate. The _fourth glume_ is obovate-oblong or oblong, hyaline, ciliate, nerveless. There are three _stamens_.

This gra.s.s though coa.r.s.e forms very good hay if cut before it flowers.

The only objection against this gra.s.s is the presence of the troublesome awns which get twisted together like the strands of a rope. This is the _spear gra.s.s_ of the Anglo-Indians. It grows all over the Presidency and is a troublesome weed when in flower.

_Distribution._--All over the Presidency and India. Common in all tropical countries.

=Andropogon Schoenanthus, _L. Var. caesius._=

(_Cymbopogon caesius_, Stapf.)

This is a perennial gra.s.s with stout or slender, erect stems rising from a woody base, leafy upward, simple or branched.

The _leaf-sheath_ is smooth and glabrous. The _ligule_ is an oblong-ovate membrane. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is long, narrow or broad, narrowly linear-lanceolate, finely ac.u.minate, glaucous especially beneath, thinly coriaceous, glabrous on both the surfaces, base rounded or cordate and amplexicaul, 6 to 10 inches by 1/6 to 1/3 inch.

The _panicle_ is elongate, leafy, narrow, dense or interrupted, compound or decompound, 1 to 2 feet long; bracts are lanceolate, spathiform, finely ac.u.minate, glabrous, varying in length from 1 to 1-1/2 inches, and with hyaline margins; the proper bracts are as long as the spikes or longer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 164.--Andropogon Schoenanthus.

1. A sessile and two pedicelled spikelets; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and fourth glume of the sessile spikelet, respectively; 6.

ovary; 7, 8 and 9. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelets in order.]

The _spikes_ are unequal, 1/2 to 2/3 inch long, one 3- to 4-jointed and the other 4- to 6-jointed; the joints and pedicels are narrowly clavate, half as long as the sessile spikelets, tips dilated and toothed, margins villously ciliate, with long hairs.

The _spikelets_ are binate, one sessile and the other pedicelled.

The _sessile spikelets_ in the upper part of the spike are bis.e.xual, lanceolate, 1/6 inch long and those in the lower part of the spike are shorter, obtuse, male. The callus is short and bearded. There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is ovate or obovate-oblong, dorsally flat or nearly so, with a deep narrow-longitudinal median furrow usually below the middle and answering to a ridge on the ventral face, obtuse or 2-toothed at the apex, margined above the middle, with a hyaline, narrow, finely denticulate wing, 2-nerved or nerveless. The _second glume_ is lanceolate, cymbiform, acute or ac.u.minate, 3-nerved, margins hyaline, ciliate, as long as the first chartaceous and the keel with a serrulate wing above the middle. The _third glume_ is linear oblong, hyaline, obtuse, ciliate, nerveless. The _fourth glume_ is the narrowly winged 2-lobed base of the awn, lobes are lanceolate erect and _palea_ of the fourth glume is minute. _Lodicules_ are cuneate. _Stamens_ are three.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are oblong-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, glabrous and male. There are three _glumes_. The _first glume_ is glabrous or rarely p.u.b.erulous, margins incurved, obtuse, 9- to 11-nerved. The _second glume_ is ovate, acute, 3-nerved. The _third glume_ is oblong or linear-oblong, hyaline, apex rounded, ciliate and faintly 2-nerved.

This gra.s.s grows all over the Presidency in open dry situations and is very widely distributed.

_Distribution._--Throughout India--westward to tropical Africa.

29. Anthistiria, _L. f._

(_Themeda_, Forsk.)

These are tall gra.s.ses, annual or perennial. Leaves are usually long and narrow. The inflorescence consists of racemes or panicles of fascicled spikes in the axils of spathiform bracts. The spikelets vary in number from six to eleven in a cl.u.s.ter, the four lowest being male or neuter, and forming an involucre with whorled or superposed pairs round either 1-sessile bis.e.xual spikelet with two pedicelled spikelets or two superposed bis.e.xual, the lower with one pedicelled, the upper with two.

The involucral spikelets are male or neuter, the largest, and consist of three glumes. The first glume is oblong, lanceolate, dorsally flattened, many-nerved, margins narrowly incurved and keels narrowly winged. The second glume is membranous, lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, with ciliate margins. The third glume is hyaline, smaller than the second, 1-nerved or this glume may be absent, stamens have large anthers. The pedicelled spikelets are similar to the involucral in every respect but smaller, male or neuter, but the first glume is not winged on the keels. The bis.e.xual (or female) spikelets are smaller than the involucrant spikelets, linear-oblong, subterete, obtuse with a rigidly bearded callus. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is terete, or dorsally compressed or channelled, coriaceous and at length hardened, margins incurved, dark brown to almost black when old. The second glume is as long as the first, linear, dorsally chartaceous, with broadly incurved membranous margins, 3-nerved. The third glume is very small, hyaline, 1-nerved, epaleate. The fourth glume is the flattened base of the awn, epaleate. The lodicules are two, cuneate. Anthers are rather small. Styles are laterally or terminally exserted. Grain is narrow, obovoid, biconvex, with two grooves on the anterior side and with a long embryo.