Fig. 119.—Leersia hexandra.
1. Erect branch; 2 and 3. bits of leaves with ligules; 4 and 5. spikelets; 6. ovary and lodicules.
The leaf-sheath is smooth, glabrous, with eciliate margins. The ligule is a short obliquely truncate or two-lobed membrane. Nodes are hairy with deflexed hairs.
The leaf-blade is flat, narrow, linear, tapering to a fine point, suberect and rather rigid, glabrous and with a narrow base, varying in length from 3 to 10 inches and 1/8 to 1/3 inch in breadth.
The inflorescence is an oblong laxly branched, narrow pedunculate panicle, 2 to 4 inches long.
The spikelets are all 1-flowered and 1-glumed, articulate on the pedicels above the rudimentary glumes, strongly laterally compressed. The glume is about 1/6 inch long, ovate-oblong, somewhat boat-shaped, acute and shortly mucronate, strongly keeled, ciliate on the keel and margins, 5-nerved, the lateral nerves forming a thickened margin; palea is as long as the glume, linear-lanceolate, subacute, rigid with membranous margins. Stamens are six and there are two small lodicules. The first two glumes are reduced to an obscure hyaline rim.
This marsh-grass is found in marshy places such as ditches and channels in paddy fields, ponds and tanks.
Distribution.—It is found all over India and Ceylon; also in Africa, America and Australia.