Pommereulla Cornucopiæ, Linn. f.
This is a short, stout perennial grass with stems rooting at the nodes; branches are flat, short, densely leafy, 2 to 6 inches long.
The leaf-sheaths are smooth, equitant with thinly membranous margins. The ligule is a ciliated ridge.
The leaf-blade is flat, linear, distichous, coriaceous, rounded at the tip, margins sparsely ciliate, 1 to 2-1/2 inches long.
The inflorescence is a terminal raceme, 1/2 to 2 inches long, half hidden by the uppermost leaf-sheath, the peduncle is flattened and 1 to 2-1/2 inches long; rachis is also flattened with a tuft of long silky hairs at the base.
Fig. 214.-Pommereulla Cornucopiæ.
1. A leaf; 2. inflorescence; 3. spikelet; 4 and 5. the second and the first glume; 6 and 7. the third and the fourth glume; 8 and 9. the fifth flowering glume and its palea; 10 and 11. grain.
The spikelets are shortly pedicelled or sessile, dorsally compressed, cuneiform, about 1/3 inch, glistening, villous, not articulate at the base, 2- to 3-flowered, rachilla is narrowed downwards, resembling a callus and villous, jointed at the acute base above the empty glumes, and crowned with broad obconic empty awned glumes. The spikelets have usually seven, rarely eight glumes. The first and the second glumes are narrow, membranous, glistening, empty and persistent and the others are coriaceous with membranous margins. The first glume is linear or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 1-nerved, scaberulous along the nerve. The second glume is longer than the first, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed towards the base, inserted much above the first glume and embracing the rachilla, 3-nerved, scaberulous along the mid-nerve at the base only. The third and fourth glumes are half-amplexicaul, empty, epaleate, flabelliform, 4-lobed, 7-nerved, shortly awned at the back, villous; the side lobes are acuminate or aristate and the central lobes are shortly awned. The fifth, sixth and seventh glumes are obovate-cuneate, 7- to 9-nerved, paleate, flower-bearing and 3-lobed, the side lobes are acuminate and the central lobe is bifid and dorsally awned; palea is ovate-acute, 2-nerved and ciliolate. The eighth glume, if present, is neuter and imperfect, 3-lobed and shortly awned. Lodicules are minute. Stamens are two or three with small anthers. Grain is oblong, compressed, reddish brown.