The leaf-sheath is glabrous and close. The ligule is a short, fimbriate membrane. Nodes are glabrous.
The leaf-blade is narrow, flat, acuminate, glabrous on both sides, 3 to 10 inches long.
The panicle is erect, narrow, contracted, with branches in pseudo-whorls and varying in length from 6 to 18 inches, branches are slender, filiform, two or more arising from the same level, 1 to 3 inches long.
The spikelets are small, pedicellate, smooth, usually 6 to 14-flowered, pale but often tinged with red, the rachilla is jointed between the flowering glumes, and breaks away from above downwards. The empty glumes are very small, subequal, ovate-oblong, hyaline, obtuse and 1-nerved. Floral glumes also are small but slightly longer than the empty ones, ovate-oblong, obtuse and paleate, palea is linear-oblong with smooth or scabrid keels. Stamens are two with small anthers. Grain is obovoid.
Fig. 217.—Eragrostis interrupta. Var. Kœnigii.
1. Two spikelets; 2 and 3. empty glumes; 4. empty glumes with two flowering glumes and their palea; 5. flowering glumes and palea; 6. ovary and two stamens; 7. grain.
This grass is a very variable plant and has a few varieties. The one described above is Var. Kœnigii Stapf., and this is the one that occurs very widely. The other two varieties which occur very rarely are (1) diarrhena Stapf. and (2) tenuissima Stapf. The former is a tall plant with very narrow panicle and spikelets and the latter either tall or short and with a panicle bearing very slender divaricate branches.
This grass usually occurs in clayey soils especially on the bunds and in the paddy fields.
Distribution.—Throughout India, Burma and Ceylon. Also in tropical Asia and Africa.