The inflorescence is usually enclosed in the leaf-sheath, 1 to 6 inches long; the rachis is flexuous, angular and glabrous. The involucels are 1/4 to 1/2 inch across, turbinate or truncate at base with an outer, shorter and inner longer series of hard, sharp, pungent spines; the inner subulate, dorsally deeply grooved, very much longer than the spikelets; margins ciliate to about half the distance from the base, and the upper half covered with very short, sharp and stiff, reflexed hairs; the outer are shorter than the spikelets, spreading or erect, glabrous or nearly so and covered with reflexed hairs.
The spikelets are usually one to two and rarely three in an involucel and each one has four glumes. The first glume is lanceolate and nerveless or ovate-lanceolate and 1-nerved, half as long as the third glume, hyaline and acute. The second glume is about 1/6 inch long, ovate, acute, membranous, 5-nerved. The third glume is similar to the second, paleate; palea is lanceolate and short. The fourth glume is as long as the third, cuspidately acuminate, membranous, 5-nerved and paleate; palea is ovate, as long as the glume. Stamens are three. Styles are free and long with plumose stigmas. The grain is ovoid-oblong, brown and compressed.
Fig. 118.—Cenchrus catharticus.
1. A portion of the spike; 2. an involucel with two spikelets; 3, 4, 5 and 7. the first, second, third and the fourth glume respectively; 6 and 8. palea of the third and the fourth glume respectively; 9. the ovary and stamens; 10. grain.
This grass is more common than C. biflorus and is found on the East Coast districts in open sandy places.
Distribution.—Nellore, Bellary, the Punjab and the Gangetic Plains.
CHAPTER VII.
TRIBES II AND III—ORYZEÆ AND ZOYSIEÆ.
Oryzeæ is a very small tribe with a few genera, which usually flourish in marshes. The spikelets are in panicles, 1-flowered and the flower is usually perfect. In Oryza there are three glumes, the first two being very minute, and there is only a single glume in Leersia and Hygrorhiza. There are usually six stamens. The palea becomes firm in texture like the glume instead of remaining hyaline, and so it is often mistaken for a glume. The spikelets are jointed on their pedicels and fall away from them.