The leaf-blade is flat, linear from a narrow base, glabrous or base hairy; apices of upper leaves acuminate, and those of the lower obtuse, with finely serrate margins and a midrib prominent below, 6 to 12 inches long and 1/10 to 1/6 inch wide.
Racemes are short, exserted from the uppermost sheath, erect, 4 to 8 inches long; joints are 1/5 inch long, contracted in the middle, with two equal and similar spikelets, sunk in the opposite oblong cavities separated by a thin hyaline septum and sometimes with a minute glume of the third spikelet on the upper margin of the joint.
Fig. 146.—Mnesithea lævis.
1 and 2. Portions of a spike; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 7. palea of the fourth glume; 8. ovary; 9 and 10. a part of the spike at the terminal portion.
The sessile spikelets are 1-flowered, as long as the joint and varying in length from 1/7 to 1/5 inch and have four glumes. The first glume is obliquely oblong, coriaceous, smooth, obtuse, margins narrowly incurved, truncate and pitted at the base, 5- to 7-nerved. The second glume is as long as the first hyaline, oblong and obtuse. The third glume is like the second but thinner and slightly broader, paleate or not, empty. The fourth glume is rather smaller than the third, oblong, obtuse, bisexual and paleate; the palea is shorter than the glume. Lodicules are not present.
This grass is usually found in dry fields all over the presidency but it is nowhere abundant.
Distribution.—Throughout India and Ceylon.