ose near the apex being longer.

[Illustration: Fig. 96.--Panicum ramosum.

1 and 2. Back and front view of spike; 3 and 4. front and back view of a
spikelet; 5 and 6. first and second glumes; 7 and 8. third glume and its
palea; 9 and 10. fourth glume and its palea; 11. ovary, anthers and
lodicules.]

There are four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is nearly half the length of
the third glume, broadly ovate, subacute, margin overlapping at the
base, and usually 5-nerved. The _second glume_ is broadly ovate acute,
rather cuspidate, usually 5-nerved (rarely 7-nerved). The _third glume_
is similar to the second glume, 5-nerved, paleate, empty; _palea_ is
hyaline oblong, acute. The _fourth glume_ is ovoid-oblong, acute,
coriaceous, rugulose, with short broadened stipes, and three faint
nerves; _palea_ similar to the glume in texture and markings. _Anthers_
are orange-yellow; _style_ branches are purple. _Lodicules_ are small
and fleshy.

This grass is a common weed found in dry cultivated fields and open
waste places and is one of the best fodder grasses available.

_Distribution._--Plains throughout India and in Afghanistan.

[Illustration: Fig. 97.--Panicum distachyum.]

=Panicum distachyum, _L._=

This grass is an annual. Stems are slender, rarely stout, creeping and
rooting at the nodes, pale green or purplish, with erect or ascending
slender branches, varying in length from 10 to 15 inches, glabrous or
pubescent, channelled near the nodes.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous or glabrescent and sometimes hirsute;
margin is ciliate. The _ligule_ is a fringe of short hairs. _Nodes_ are
glabrous or pubescent.

The _leaf-blade_ is lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, base cordate and
subamplexicaul, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy on both sides; margins
are wavy here and there, finely serrate with tubercle-based hairs
towards the base, the midrib is slender, not prominent and veins not
distinct. There is considerable variation in leaves especially in the
length. In the ordinary form it varies from 1/2 to 3 inches and even up
to 6 or 7 inches sometimes in length and the breadth from 1/8 to 1/4
inch. In one form which is separated as a variety (var. _brevifolium_,
Wight and Arnott,) the leaves are always short and broad,
ovate-lanceolate never exceeding 1 inch in length.

The _inflorescence_ consists of two or three, very rarely four erect or
spreading distant spikes on a somewhat slender very hairy peduncle.
_Spikes_ a