ia; paleate with a single bisexual
flower; _palea_ is similar to the glume in structure. _Anthers_ are
orange yellow, and _lodicules_ are very small. _Stigmas_ are white.
Grain is smooth and ovoid.

This grass grows in paddy fields and wet places generally. It is
considered to be a very good fodder grass in Australia and America. This
is the "Barn-yard" grass of the Americans, highly valued as a fodder
grass.

_Distribution._--Throughout India in wet places and in paddy fields.

=Panicum stagninum, _Retz._=

It is an annual. The stems are glabrous, creeping and somewhat prostrate
at the base, and the upper portion is erect, 3 to 4 feet long, and
rooting at the nodes in the geniculate portion of the stem.

The _leaf-sheath_ is smooth, striate, glabrous, sometimes pubescent
about the lower nodes, varying in length from 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 inches. The
_ligule_ is distinct, consisting of a fringe of stiff hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate, acuminate or acute, base rounded,
glabrous, smooth below, especially in the lower part, and scabrid above
and in the upper part, 6 to 12 inches long, by 1/4 to 3/8 inch; the
lower leaves have their blades somewhat narrower at the base than in the
middle, but the blades in the upper part of the stem and in the middle
are of the same breadth; margins are very minutely serrate.

[Illustration: 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 ape