Fig 154.—Andropogon squarrosus. 1. A portion of a branch; 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. palea of the fourth glume; 8. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 9, 10, 11 and 12. glumes of the pedicelled spikelet; 13. palea of the fourth glume.
The sessile spikelets are about 1/6 inch long, lanceolate and with a shortly bearded callus. The first glume is ovate-oblong, thickly coriaceous, obscurely 2- to 4-nerved (occasionally 5- to 7-nerved), acute, dorsally flat, with incurved margins and with two rows of tubercle-based minute prickles or mere excrescences at the sides. The second glume is as long as the first, oblong, coriaceous, keeled, with hyaline and ciliolate margins, 1-nerved (sometimes 3-nerved, marginal faint), and with minute prickles on the keel. The third glume is broadly oblong, hyaline, nerveless or rarely with two obscure veins ciliolate at the margins and acute or acuminate. The fourth glume is shorter than the third, linear-oblong, mucronate or very shortly awned at the apex, paleate; palea about two-thirds the length of the glume, lanceolate. Lodicules are two, quadrate and conspicuous though small. Styles and stigmas short. Stamens are three with yellow anthers. Stigmas are purple.
The pedicelled spikelets are similar to the sessile ones, but are slightly smaller and the prickles are less prominent. The fourth glume has no mucro or awn and has three stamens.
This grass is fairly abundant in moist situations, in the margins of tanks and in tankbeds in the Coromandel districts, but in other inland districts it is not so common. In some places it seems to be cultivated. This is the khus-khus grass.
Distribution.—Throughout the plains and lower hills of India, Burma and Ceylon, also said to occur in Java and Tropical Africa.
Andropogon asper, Heyne.
(Chrysopogon asper, Heyne.)