A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 12

1 and 2. Front and back view of the spikelet; 3, 4 and 5. the first, second and the third glume, respectively; 6. palea of the third glume; 7 and 8. the fourth glume and its palea; 9. stamens, ovary and lodicules.]

The _spikelets_ are ovate, ac.u.minate, binate (sometimes solitary or three) on a common finely filiform stalk, one long and the other short pedicelled, pale or yellowish green, or purple; pedicels are angular, scabrid or scaberulous, slightly swollen at the top and sometimes with setose hairs also.

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is green or purple, broadly ovate, ac.u.minate, clasping at the base, about two-thirds of the third glume, membranous, nerves five, the lateral two stout and anastomosing halfway, finely scaberulous especially on the nerves and more so on the central one. The _second glume_ is slightly longer than the third, green or purple, ovate, ac.u.minate, generally 7-nerved and sometimes also with two more indistinct marginal nerves, i.e., 9-nerved, scaberulous on the nerves. The _third glume_ is pale green or yellow, ovate-oblong, acute or subacute, obscurely scaberulous, 9-nerved (two of the nerves in the middle sometimes not running to the base), paleate, empty. _Palea_ is hyaline, smaller than the glume, oblong, obtuse, minutely two-lobed or two-toothed at the apex; margins broadly infolded. The _fourth glume_ is elliptic obtuse, shorter than the third, smooth, shining, coriaceous, dorsally convex, with a prominent short, broad stipe at the base which is persistent with the glume, 5-nerved, sometimes with seven nerves especially when young (two marginal ones being indistinct). _Palea_ is similar to the glume in texture. _Anthers_ are three, linear, orange yellow. _Lodicules_ are two and prominent though small. _Stigmas_ feathery and white.

_P. tenellum_, Roxb. Fl. Indica I. 306 is probably not this plant though quoted as a synonym, for it is described as having culms prostrate and rooting at the nodes.

This gra.s.s is of wide distribution in the Presidency, but it is nowhere abundant. It is fairly common in cultivated dry fields. Cattle like this gra.s.s.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 102.--Panic.u.m repens.

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

=Panic.u.m repens, _L._=

This is a perennial glaucous gra.s.s with stoloniferous and rhizomiferous stems bearing ordinary erect leafy branches, and the branches come out piercing through the leaf-sheath (extrav.a.g.i.n.al).

Stems are numerous, stiff and erect, 1/2 to 3 feet in length, glabrous, covered below by brownish or whitish scale-leaves, and above with densely distichous leaves.

The _leaf-sheath_ is firm, distinctly striate, glabrous, margins ciliate on both sides up to the point of overlapping and then the outer margin alone ciliate. The _ligule_ is a short thin membrane with very short cilia on the free margin. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is glaucous, narrow, lanceolate, thinly coriaceous, ac.u.minate with a hardened tip, 1 to 7 or 9 inches long, 1/2 to 1/4 inch broad, flat or involute when slightly faded, with a few distantly scattered hairs above, especially towards the lower portion of the blade when young, and becoming glabrous later, glabrous on the lower surface, margin is finely serrate and with a few cilia towards the base, some hairs being tubercle-based; base of the blade is rounded or cordate, midrib is prominent and keeled.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 103.--Panic.u.m repens.

1. Spike; 2 and 3. front and back view of a spikelet; 4, 5 and 6. first, second and third glumes; 7. palea of the third glume; 8 and 9. fourth glume and its palea; 10. lodicules, stamens and ovary; 11. leaf showing ligule.]

The _inflorescence_ is a panicle, contracted and not much exserted from the topmost leaf-sheath, 3 to 8 inches long, branches are usually many, erect, the lower being 2 to 5 inches long, slender, angular and scaberulous.

The _spikelets_ are glabrous, erect, pale or pale green, sometimes purplish also on one side, ovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, acute, 1/8 inch, pedicels are long with cupular tips.

There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is hyaline, broadly ovate, rounded and shortly acute or subacute, indistinctly 3- to 5-nerved or nerveless, less than one-third of the height of the third glume. The _second glume_ is membranous, ovate-lanceolate acute, 7- to 9-nerved. The _third glume_ is equal to and broader than the second, always paleate and with three stamens and 9-nerved; _palea_ is hyaline, oblong, obtuse or subacute, margins folded. The fourth _glume_ is white, coriaceous, smooth and shining, oblong, acute, shortly and broadly stipitate, with the margins folded inwards exposing only a third of the palea; _palea_ is similar to the glume in texture and marking. _Anthers_ are deep orange in colour. _Lodicules_ are distinct though small.

_Stigmas_ are deep purple when mature, and pale when young.

This gra.s.s flourishes in moist situations such as the bunds of paddy fields, tank beds and edges of marshes and is an excellent binder of the soil. When once established it is very difficult to get rid of it, on account of its rhizomes. Owing to the resemblance of the rhizomes to ginger, some call this gra.s.s Ginger-rooted gra.s.s. Cattle are fond of this gra.s.s.

_Distribution._--Throughout India, but not so common on the West and not recorded from Bombay. It is said to occur in South Europe, Australia, North Africa and Brazil.

5. Chamaeraphis, _Br._

These are glabrous marsh or aquatic gra.s.ses. Leaves are linear or lanceolate. The inflorescence is a panicle. The spikelets are one-to two-flowered, subsessile and subsecund on the branches which are produced as awn-like bristles beyond the ultimate spikelet, obscurely jointed and persistent on their obconic short pedicels, narrowly lanceolate and terete. The spikelet consists of four glumes. The first glume is very small, hyaline, suborbicular, nerveless and truncate. The second glume is the longest, green, membranous, narrowly lanceolate, ac.u.minate or narrowed into a rigid awn, 7- to 11-nerved. The third glume is lanceolate, acute, or aristately ac.u.minate, 7-nerved, paleate, male or neuter, the palea is smaller than the glume and hyaline. The fourth glume is much smaller than the third, stipitate, bis.e.xual or female, oblong or ovate-oblong, acute, flat, thinly coriaceous, nerveless and paleate; the palea is hyaline, as broad as the glume, acute and nerveless. The lodicules are cuneate. Stamens are three. Stigmas are laterally exserted. Grain is oblong, compressed.

=Chamaeraphis spinescens, _Poir._=

A glabrous aquatic or marsh gra.s.s, with much branched floating stems.

Stems are leafy, elongate, ascending, varying in length from 1 to 3 feet.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are long, smooth, loose, with naked margins. The _ligule_ is a ridge of hairs. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is flat, narrowly linear-lanceolate, smooth or scabrid, ac.u.minate, base narrowed, 1 to 3-1/2 inches long and 1/16 to 1/8 inch wide.

The _inflorescence_ is a pyramidal panicle, contracted or diffuse, with a leaf very near its base; peduncle is short; branches of the panicle, filiform, angular, flexuous, bearing one or more spikelets and produced as a bristle beyond the last spikelet.

The _spikelets_ are 1/6 to 1/4 rarely 1/3 inch long including the awn, subsessile and somewhat on one side on the branches, obscurely articulate but persistent on the pedicels, pale or green, lanceolate.

There are four glumes in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is hyaline, suborbicular, rounded at the tip and nerveless, 1/30 inch or less. The _second glume_ is membranous, lanceolate, smooth or setosely scabrid on the sides, 9- to 11-nerved, with a long scabrid awn which is sometimes as long as the body of the glume. The _third glume_ is shorter than the second, finely ac.u.minate, or awned, 7-nerved, membranous, paleate and with three _stamens_ and two _lodicules_; the _palea_ is shorter than the glume, linear-oblong, subacute. The _fourth glume_ is ovate-lanceolate, nerveless, acute, paleate with three _stamens_, _ovary_ and two _lodicules_; _palea_ is hyaline, narrow, quarter the length of the third glume. Grain is obovate oblong.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 104.--Chamaeraphis spinescens.

1. Terminal portion of a spike showing the bristle; 2, 3, 4 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 5. palea of third glume with its anthers and lodicules; 7. palea of the fourth glume; 8. ovary; 9. lodicules.]

_Distribution._--This plant is found at the edges in ponds, tanks and marshes all over the Presidency.

6. Spinifex, _L._

This is a stout, rigid, much branched, gregarious and dioecious gra.s.s, flourishing in sand on the sea coast. Leaves are long, narrow rigid, involute, spreading and recurved and thickly coriaceous. Male spikelets are 1- to 2-flowered, subsessile, distichous, jointed on rigid peduncled spikes, which are collected in umbels and surrounded by spathaceous leafy bracts. The spikelets have four glumes. The first two glumes are empty. The third and the fourth paleate and triandrous and sometimes the former is empty. Female spikelets are collected in large globose heads of stellately spreading very long rigid rod-like processes surrounded by shorter subulate bracts. Each spikelet is solitary, and articulate at the very base of a rachis, lanceolate, 1-flowered. There are four glumes. The first three glumes are as in the male spikelets, but larger.

The third is paleate, empty. The fourth glume has a female flower. The lodicules are large and nerved. Styles are long, free, with short, feathery stigmas. Grain free within the hardened glumes.

=Spinifex squarrosus, _L._=

A perennial littoral dioecious gra.s.s forming bushes. Stems are glaucous, smooth, solid, woody, thick below, freely branching, 5 to 10 feet long or more.

The _leaf-sheath_ is smooth, imbricating, 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long. The _ligule_ is a row of stiff long hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is narrow, rigid, thickly coriaceous, concavo-convex tapering from the base to the tip, spreading and recurved, 4 to 6 inches long.

The _male inflorescence_ consists of several spikes, 1 to 3 inches long, forming umbels, with membranous leafy spathaceous bracts which are shorter than the spikes.

The _spikelets_ are usually 2-flowered, smooth, articulate on short peduncles, distichous, 1/3 to 1/2 inch long.

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is shorter than the second, ovate, obtuse, 7- to 9-nerved. The _second glume_ is similar to the first, but longer. The _third_ and the _fourth glumes_ are longer than the second glume, 5- to 7-nerved, paleate and triandrous; _palea_ of both are lanceolate with ciliate keels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 105.--Spinifex squarrosus.

Male plant--1. A branch with the male inflorescence; 2. a spike; 3. a spikelet; 4, 5, 6 and 7. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6a. palea of the third glume; 6b. extra palea like structure found occasionally in the palea of the third glume; 7a. palea and lodicules of the fourth glume.]

The _female inflorescence_ is a large globose head consisting of short spikelets articulate at the very base of the rachis, short bracts and very long, spreading, rigid rod-like rachises. The _spikelets_ are solitary with four glumes and 2-flowered. The _first glume_ is oblong-lanceolate, many-nerved, longer than the other glumes. The _second glume_ is shorter, 7-nerved. The _third glume_ is empty, 5-nerved. The _fourth glume_ is ovate-lanceolate and abruptly narrowed above the middle, 5-nerved and paleate, palea is shorter than the glume but broader, 2-nerved and acute. _Lodicules_ are two, large, cuneate at base and strongly nerved. _Stigmas_ are oblong. Grain is clavate and tipped by the style base.

This gra.s.s grows luxuriantly in the sands near the sea on both the coasts of the Madras Presidency.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 106.--Spinifex squarrosus.