The leaf-sheath is glabrous, shorter than the blade, coriaceous and open above. The ligule is a ridge of hairs.
The leaf-blade is lanceolate, narrowed from the rounded or subcordate base to the acute tip, coriaceous, 3/4 to 1 inch long; margins are ciliate with tubercle-based cilia; the surfaces with or without a few scattered long tubercle-based hairs.
The inflorescence is 1 to 3 inches long, consisting of distant sessile fascicles of four to six spikelets; the rachis of the spike is flexuous; the rachis of the fascicles ends in three subulate empty glumes.
Fig. 187.—Gracilea nutans.
1. A portion of the inflorescence with three fascicles of spikelets; 2. a spikelet without the first glume; 3, 4, 5 and 8. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6 and 10. palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 7. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 9. the rachilla produced beyond the fourth glume.
The spikelets are closely appressed and each one has four glumes. The first and the second glumes are empty, 2/5 inch long, rigidly coriaceous, gradually narrowed from a villous base into an erect, scabrid awn, 1-nerved. The second glume has broad hyaline margins towards the base. The third glume is about 1/10 inch, ovate, with a short scabrid awn at the tip, scaberulous at the back just above the middle, 3-nerved, paleate and with both stamens and ovary; palea is narrow, lanceolate, as long as the glume and 2-toothed at the tip. The grain is oblong, brownish. The fourth glume is about half as long as the third glume, with a short, stout, smooth rachilla, ovate-lanceolate, terminated at the tip by two teeth and a short awn, scabrid above the middle at the back, paleate and male; palea is shorter than the glume; the rachilla is produced beyond the fourth glume and terminates in a thickening.
This grass grows in open somewhat dry loamy and laterite soils in the East Coast districts.
Distribution.—Mysore and the Carnatic and Ceylon.