The leaf-blades are long, flat, linear, acuminate, with a stout midrib and thickened serrate margins, scabrid above and sometimes with a few tubercle-based hairs, 10 inches to 2 feet long and 1/4 to 3/4 inch broad.
The inflorescence consists of paniculate spike-like racemes terminating the branches and at first enclosed in spathiform bracts, the lower and outer spathiform bracts are one inch or more in length with a long awn at the tip, and the inner proper sheaths are oblong, awned and about 1/2 inch long. The raceme consists of one or more female spikelets at the base and a number of male spikelets above, appearing as if sessile on the top of the female spikelet, but really articulate with the internode below it which is enclosed by the first glume of the female spikelet.
Fig. 127.—Polytoca barbata.
1. Inflorescence; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the male spikelet; 4a and 5a. palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. the first glume of the sessile spikelet; 7. female spikelet; 8, 9 and 10. the second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 11. palea of the fourth glume; 12. ovary.
The male spikelets are solitary, or binate and then one sessile and one pedicelled, 2-flowered, reaching 3/8 inch in length and consist of four glumes each. The first glume is concave, ovate, acute, pubescent, herbaceous, many-nerved and with a narrow membranous margin on one side only in the pedicelled and solitary spikelets and on both sides in the sessile spikelets. The second glume is narrower, dorsally compressed, ovate, acuminate, 5- to 9-nerved, laterally compressed and with a narrow wing to the keel near the apex in sessile spikelets and dorsally compressed without the keel in the pedicelled and solitary spikelets. The third glume is membranous, oblong, acuminate, 3- to 5-nerved, with three stamens and paleate; the palea is hyaline, broadly linear. The fourth glume is very slender, linear, hyaline, with or without stamens, paleate; palea is flat, narrowly linear. Lodicules are present and they are small. The anthers in the third glume are larger than those in the fourth glume.
The female spikelet is oblong, 1/6 inch long, 1-flowered and with four glumes. The first glume is thickly coriaceous, white, shining, closely embracing the rachis and the other glumes entire at the tip. The second glume is quadrately oblong, many-nerved. The third glume is oblong, narrower than the second, 3- to 5-nerved paleate, empty. The palea of the third glume is narrow, truncate. The fourth glume is narrow, truncate, 3-nerved, paleate; the palea is truncate and wrapped round the ovary. Styles are long and stigmas slender. Lodicules are not present. The grain is fusiform, terete and within the nut-like polished hardened glume.
Distribution.—In damp situations all over India.