Fig. 88.—Panicum stagninum.
1. Front view of a portion of spike; 2. back view of the same; 3 and 4. front and back views of a spikelet; 5, 6 and 7. the first, second and the third glume, respectively; 8. palea of the third glume with its anthers; 9. front and back view of fourth glume; 10. the ovary, stamens and lodicules.
The inflorescence is 4 to 8 inches long; the main rachis is angular, grooved, scabrid on the ridges. The spikes are 7 to 10 inches, alternate, pale green or purplish, rather distant, spreading or suberect (never erect) 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long, sessile and with a tuft of bristly hairs at the base; the rachis of the spike is angular, grooved with scattered bulbous-based bristles on the ridges.
The spikelets are four ranked, ovoid-lanceolate, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long without the awn, somewhat flattened on one side and gibbous on the other, pale green or purplish, with equal bulbous-based bristly hairs on the nerves.
There are four glumes. The first glume is half of the third glume, thin, membranous, hairy, broadly ovate, abruptly cuspidate at the apex, and acuminate, 5-nerved (rarely 3-nerved). The second glume is broadly ovate-lanceolate, concave, acuminate, short awned, 5-nerved with two partial nerves one on each side of the central nerve (7- to 9-nerved at the tip), hairs on nerves, a few tubercled. The third glume is similar to the second, broadly ovate-lanceolate, awned, awn 1/8 to 1/4 inch, paleate with usually three stamens, occasionally neuter. Lodicules are present. The fourth glume is chartaceous, shining, smooth ovate-oblong, apex cuspidate, with a few hairs on the edges at the apex, faintly 5-nerved. The anthers within this glume come out before those of the third glume. Anthers are three, yellowish and lodicules are conspicuous though small.
In this grass very often, purple streaks or bands occur across the leaf blades and the sheath and the spikelets become purple on one side as is met with in P. colonum. This grass is occasionally found in the paddy fields either alone, or along with Panicum Crus-galli.
Distribution.—Throughout the Madras and the Bombay Presidencies and in Ceylon in wet places especially in cultivated ground and in ditches. Occurs more or less throughout India.