Eleusine ægyptiaca, Desf.
This grass is an annual with erect or creeping branches. Stems are erect or prostrate, compressed, smooth, spreading and rooting at the nodes, 6 to 18 inches long. Nodes are thickened and sometimes proliferous.
The leaf-sheath is compressed and glabrous. The ligule is short and membranous.
The leaf-blade is linear, tapering to a fine point, flat, glaucous, glabrous or hairy, 1 to 6 inches long and 1/12 to 1/6 inch, wide.
Fig. 209.—Eleusine ægyptiaca.
1. Front and back views of a portion of spike; 2. a spikelet; 3 and 4. the first and the second glumes; 5 and 6. flowering glume and its palea; 7. ovary and anthers.
Spikes are digitate, 2 to 6, 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long. Spikelets are flat, densely crowded on one side of the floral axis, spreading at right angles, 3- to 5-flowered, glumes five to seven. The first glume is ovate acute. The second glume is equal to the first or slightly longer, broadly ovate, awned. The flowering glumes are ovate, mucronate or awned, paleate; palea is shorter than the glume, ovate-oblong, obtuse or 2-fid. Anthers are small. Grain is reddish, rugose and sub-globose.
This is a very common grass occurring as a weed in cultivated fields and in open places. It is a well-known fodder grass.