A Handbook Of Some South Indian Grasses Part 25

The _leaf-blades_ are broad, distinctly linear, acute or ac.u.minate, coriaceous, glabrous or softly hairy on both the surfaces, with a slender midrib which bears short stiff tubercle-based hairs all along, and margins with similar hairs, but a few leaves towards the base are longer, and varying in length from 12 to 18 inches and in breadth from 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

The _panicle_ is somewhat narrow, 7 to 8 inches long, branches are very slender, whorled, usually with only one spike consisting of a sessile and two pedicelled spikelets.

The _sessile spikelets_ are 1/4 inch long, laterally compressed, with a long callus villous all round, and bis.e.xual. The _first glume_ is coriaceous, linear-oblong, strongly compressed above and with a few stiff short bristles beneath the tip. The _second glume_ is linear, oblong, coriaceous, with an awn as long as itself or shorter, keeled and with short stiff bristles on the keel and on the sides above the middle.

The _third glume_ is hyaline, narrow, obtuse, shorter than the second, 2-nerved, ciliate. The _fourth glume_ is the linear, hyaline, 3-nerved base of the awn; the _awn_ is 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches and bent at about the middle.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are about 1/3 inch, narrowly lanceolate, male or neuter and with short rusty hairs on both the margins of the pedicel and a semi-circular tip. The _first glume_ is thin, 2-toothed or not at the tip, awned, _awn_ being as long as itself or longer, 7-nerved, ciliate at the sides from base to tip; the nerves are either equidistant or the lateral nerves nearer the margin. The _second glume_ is lanceolate-ac.u.minate, not awned, 3-nerved, margins hyaline, and ciliolate. The _third glume_ is hyaline, linear-oblong, 2-nerved, ciliolate. The _fourth glume_ is linear or linear-lanceolate, hyaline, nerveless or 1-nerved.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 156.--Andropogon asper.

1. Spike; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 6. the ovary, lodicules and stamens; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the pedicelled spikelet; 11. callus of the spike.]

This gra.s.s grows abundantly on the sides of the Kambakkam Drug, Chingleput district, and in Penchalkonda, Nellore district, and seems to be an endemic species. It is usually confined to the hill sides and not found in the plains. This gra.s.s is very closely allied to _Andropogon Wightia.n.u.s_ and it differs from it only in the general habit of the plant and in having bristles on the leaf-sheaths. On the whole this is a coa.r.s.er and larger plant than _A. Wightia.n.u.s_.

_Distribution._--Kambakkam Drug in the Chingleput district and Penchalkonda in Nellore district.

=Andropogon Wightia.n.u.s, _Steud._=

(_Chrysopogon Wightia.n.u.s_, Nees.)

This is a perennial. Stems are erect or ascending from a creeping root-stock, varying in height from 2 to 3 feet.

The _leaf-sheath_ is flattened, softly hairy or glabrous, often ciliated near the mouth. The _ligule_ is a fringe of very short hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is narrowly or rarely broadly linear, obtuse or acute and abruptly mucronate, or narrowly drawn into a point glabrous or p.u.b.escent, margins shortly ciliate.

The _panicle_ is narrow, 3 to 6 inches long, peduncle smooth below but thinly p.u.b.escent above, lower branches long, few in a whorl; rachis is very slender, angular, glabrous or hairy. The _spikes_ are solitary and each one consists of one sessile and two pedicelled spikelets. The callus is long and densely bearded with brown hairs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 157.--Andropogon Wightia.n.u.s.

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

_Sessile spikelets_ are bis.e.xual, sub-cylindric about 1/4 inch long.

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is chartaceous, laterally compressed, obscurely 4-nerved, glabrous below, hispid near the apex, minutely 2-toothed or not at the apex, not awned or rarely with a short awn. The _second glume_ is chartaceous, distinctly awned, the _awn_ being as long as the glume or longer, hispid above and at the sides also. The _third glume_ is hyaline, linear-oblong, 2-nerved ciliate. The _fourth glume_ is narrow with hyaline margins, with an _awn_ 2 to 3 inches long; _awn_ is hispid below, twisted and geniculate at and less hairy above the middle. Stamens are three. Styles are two and feathery.

Lodicules are very small.

_Pedicelled spikelets_ are male or neuter, flattened, hairy, rarely glabrous. The pedicels are half as long or slightly longer than the sessile spikelet, truncate or semi-circular at the top, and with brown villous hairs along the margin. There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is about 3/8 inch, ciliate, along the inflexed margin, 7-nerved, awned; _awn_ equal to or longer than the glume. The _second glume_ is as long as the first, shortly awned or ac.u.minate, 3-nerved, ciliate. The _third glume_ is hyaline, oblong, 2-nerved, spa.r.s.ely ciliate. The _fourth glume_ is narrow, ciliate, nerveless or rarely 1-nerved, erose or bifid at the top. _Anthers_ three or more.

This gra.s.s grows on the plains as well as on the hills. It is very closely allied to _Andropogon asper, Heyne_, and it is very difficult to distinguish them. _Andropogon Wightia.n.u.s_ is somewhat smaller compared with _Andropogon asper_, and the tubercle-based bristles on the leaf-sheaths, so characteristic of _A. asper_, is absent.

_Distribution._--Madras, Chingleput district, Kodaika.n.a.l and the Nilgiris.

=Andropogon monticola, _Schult._=

(_Chrysopogon monticola._)

This is a perennial gra.s.s.

The stems are usually slender, densely tufted, erect, simple, or branched, leafy especially at the base, varying in height from 1 to 3 feet.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are spa.r.s.ely hairy or glabrous, the lower somewhat compressed and the upper terete. The _ligule_ is a short, ciliated membrane. The _nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is narrow, linear, acute, rigid, flat, glaucous, smooth or scaberulous, with margins scabrid and ciliated with tubercle-based hairs especially towards the base, and varying in length from 2 to 15 inches.

The _inflorescence_ is an open panicle, ovate or oblong, varying in length from 2 to 5 inches; the _rachis_ is slender, smooth or scaberulous, the branches are capillary, whorled and spreading, tip oblique, bearded and bearing a single sessile and two pedicellate spikelets.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 158.--Andropogon monticola.

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

anthers, ovary and lodicules; A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4. the glumes of the pedicelled spikelet; A-5. lodicules of the pedicelled spikelet.]

The _sessile spikelets_ are bis.e.xual, about 1/4 inch or less, with a long callus bearded on one side with long rusty hairs. There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is chartaceous, linear, complicate, 2-toothed at the tip and with short bristles towards the apex, 4-veined. The _second glume_ is chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, much broader than the first, ciliate with long rufous bristles on the keel, shortly toothed at the apex with an _awn_ about 1/3 of an inch and with broadly hyaline margins. The _third glume_ is hyaline, narrow-oblong, ciliate and obtuse. The _fourth glume_ is narrow, oblong, hyaline with an _awn_ nearly an inch long. There are three _stamens_ and two _lodicules_. The _stigmas_ are long and feathery.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are as long as the sessile and the pedicels are flattened and with long rufous hairs on both the margins. There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is lanceolate, acute and awned between two teeth, 7-nerved and scaberulous. The _second glume_ is lanceolate, ac.u.minate, with thinly ciliate hyaline margins, 3-nerved. The _third glume_ is shorter than the second, narrow, hyaline, ciliate at the margins, 2-nerved. The _fourth glume_ also is small, hyaline, ciliate, and 1-nerved. There are three _stamens_ and two _lodicules_.

This gra.s.s is found growing all over the Presidency on the plains and even on low hills. It grows into a tall plant in rich soils and remains stunted in poor, dry and rocky soils. Cattle eat this gra.s.s.

_Distribution._--Throughout India and Ceylon and in Africa.

=Andropogon caricosus, _L._=

This is a perennial gra.s.s more or less tufted in habit and closely allied to _Andropogon annulatus_, Forsk.

Stems are erect or dec.u.mbent below or ascending from a creeping base, rooting at the nodes, smooth, glabrous and much branched, varying in height, from 1 to 2 feet; branches are short, slender and sometimes even capillary, with _nodes_ bearded or not in branches ending in solitary spikes, and completely glabrous when they end in binate spikes.

_The leaf-sheaths_ are glabrous, rather compressed, striate, shorter than the internodes. _Ligule_ is membranous, short, very finely ciliolate or not.

_The leaf-blade_ is linear, finely ac.u.minate, spa.r.s.ely hairy, sometimes with tubercle-based hairs, becoming glabrous when old with scaberulous margins 2 to 8 inches by 1/10 to 1/6 inch, base rounded mostly with a few long hairs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 159.--Andropogon caricosus.

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

_The spikes_ are either binate or solitary varying in length from 1 to 2 inches, joints and pedicels about 1/3 as long as the sessile spikelets, slightly angular or flat, ciliate along one side with white hairs; peduncle is slender, pale or purple, p.u.b.escent or glabrous just below the spike.

_The spikelets_ are about 1/8 inch, imbricate, a sessile and a stalked one from the top of each joint, greenish or purple. The _sessile spikelet_ contains a bis.e.xual flower and consists of four glumes. The callus is short, and shortly hairy below. The _first glume_ is somewhat chartaceous, obovate-oblong, obtuse or truncate, 7- to 11-nerved, margin slightly folded, keel shortly rigidly ciliate towards the apex, and thinly ciliate below, dorsal surfaces spa.r.s.ely hairy below the middle.

The _second glume_ is chartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, equal to or slightly longer than the first glume but narrower, 3-nerved, margin infolded, thinly shortly ciliate, dorsally glabrous, shining. The _third glume_ is hyaline, ovate-oblong, acute, nerveless, margins spa.r.s.ely ciliate or not. The _fourth glume_ is the base of the awn, 3/4 to 1 inch, scaberulous. _Stamens_ are three with yellow or purple tinged anthers, _ovary_ oblong with two feathery _stigmas_. _Lodicules_ are two, cuneate.

The _pedicelled spikelets_ are either male or neuter and consist of four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is chartaceous, obovate-oblong, obtuse, many-nerved (thirteen or more), thinly ciliate with long hairs and with a few rigid short hairs towards the apex; margins are slightly infolded, dorsally spa.r.s.ely hairy without. The _second glume_ is membranous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved (occasionally 4-nerved), margins are thinly ciliate and infolded. The _third glume_ is hyaline, nerveless and ciliate. The _fourth glume_ is hyaline, nerveless, linear and oblong, glabrous, small, the apex is narrowed and deeply bifid. There are three _stamens_ and two _lodicules_.

This is a common gra.s.s flourishing on the bunds of paddy fields and in sheltered places where there is sufficient moisture in the soil. But this is less common than _A. annulatus_, Forsk. In black cotton soil at Bantanahal in Bellary district it grows to a height of 4 or 5 feet.

_Distribution._--Plains and low hills throughout India and Ceylon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 160.--Andropogon annulatus.