The leaf-blades are linear, flat, finely acuminate and narrowed into very long points at the apex; glabrous or slightly hairy at the base and contracted, 4 to 10 inches long and 1/6 to 1/4 inch broad.
The inflorescence consists of two to five rarely six, very slender spikes, 3 to 8 inches long, forming a terminal whorl. The rachis is fine and scabrid.
Fig. 196.—Chloris incompleta.
1. A portion of the rachis with two spikelets; 2. the third glume and its palea with the rudimentary fourth glume; 3 and 4. the first and the second glumes; 5 and 6. the third glume and its palea; 7. the ovary, anthers and lodicules.
Spikelets are narrowly lanceolate, closely appressed and imbricate, 1/6 inch long excluding the awn and very variable. There are four glumes in the spikelet. The first glume is very small linear-lanceolate, acute, about 1/10 inch or less. The second glume is lanceolate, membranous, three times the length of the first glume, 2-toothed at the apex and the mid-nerve produced into a very short awn. The third glume is oblong-lanceolate as long as the second glume or longer, 2-toothed at the apex, awned, the awn being about 3/8 inch long; the callus is bearded at the base. The palea is as long as the glume, 2-toothed or not at the apex. The fourth glume is very minute, awned and is borne by a rachilla produced to half the length of the third glume.
This grass is fairly common and grows in all situations and in all sorts of soils.
Distribution.—This occurs all over the Presidency in the plains.