es_ are glabrous or pubescent.

The _leaf-blade_ is short or long, varying from 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches in
length and 3/16 to 5/16 inch in breadth, convolute when young,
lanceolate to broadly ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, upper
surface glabrous, and the lower glabrous or with a few scattered
tubercle-based hairs; margins are very minutely serrate; base is
cordate, amplexicaul with a few long slender hairs (sometimes
tubercle-based), just close to the white patch on both sides on the
margin of the blade about the ligule. The midrib is distinct.

The _inflorescence_ consists of five to fifteen or twenty spikes
spreading in all directions, distant or crowded; peduncle varies from 1
to 4 inches. _Spikes_ are 1/2 to 1-3/8 inches, sessile or shortly
stalked; the _rachis_ of the spike is slender, trigonous and
scaberulous.

[Illustration: Fig. 92.--Panicum prostratum.

A. Front and back view of spike; B. front and back view of a spikelet;
1, 2, 3 and 4, the first, second, third and the fourth glume,
respectively; 3a and 4a. the palea of the third and the fourth glumes;
5. anthers, ovary and lodicules.]

The _spikelets_ are crowded all on one side, 2- to 3-seriate,
ellipsoidal, 1/20 to 1/16 inch long, glabrous or pubescent, pale green
or purple on one side, in pairs on pedicels, one with a slightly longer
pedicel than the other; fine long hairs, varying in number from one to
eight and longer than the spikelets, are found on the pedicels at their
tips in some plants and not in others.

There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is very short
about 1/4 of the third or less, semilunar, membranous, hyaline,
subtruncate, obtuse or acute, generally nerveless, but rarely, obscurely
1- to 3-nerved. The _second glume_ is membranous, ovate, acute, glabrous
or pubescent and 7-nerved. The _third glume_ is of about the same length
as the second, 5-nerved, always paleate, with or without stamens;
_palea_ is broad, margins infolded, 2-nerved, obtuse and hyaline; when
stamens are present the _lodicules_ are very conspicuous. The _fourth
glume_ is slightly shorter than the third, oblong or elliptic,
apiculate, minutely rugulose, thinly coriaceous, with bisexual flower;
_palea_ is similar to the glume in texture and markings. _Stamens_ are
three with yellowish anthers. _Lodicules_ are small and fleshy.

This plant occurs widely as a weed of cultivation in black cotton as
well as other kinds of soil and shows variation