he second glume is narrower, ovate, acute, 5- to
9-nerved. The third glume is membranous, oblong, acute, 3- to 5-nerved,
paleate and with three stamens. The fourth glume is very slender,
hyaline, linear, paleate with three stamens or empty. Female spikelets
are broadly oblong, 1-flowered and with four glumes. The first glume is
thick, coriaceous and closely embraces the rachis of the spike by its
involute margin and the other glumes are within. The second glume is
oblong, many-nerved. The third is narrowly oblong, 3- to 5-nerved,
empty. The fourth glume is very narrow, truncate, 3-nerved, paleate.
Styles are very long with slender stigmas. Grain is small, fusiform,
terete and enclosed in the nut-like polished and hardened first glume.

=Polytoca barbata, _Stapf._=

This is an erect, tall, stout, freely branching, leafy, monoecious
perennial grass. The stems are terete, 3 to 6 feet high.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are long, glabrous, or with scattered tubercle-based
bristly hairs. The _ligule_ is a narrow membrane. The _nodes_ have a
ring of soft long hairs.

The _leaf-blades_ are long, flat, linear, acuminate, with a stout midrib
and thickened serrate margins, scabrid above and sometimes with a few
tubercle-based hairs, 10 inches to 2 feet long and 1/4 to 3/4 inch
broad.

The _inflorescence_ consists of paniculate spike-like racemes
terminating the branches and at first enclosed in spathiform bracts, the
lower and outer spathiform bracts are one inch or more in length with a
long awn at the tip, and the inner proper sheaths are oblong, awned and
about 1/2 inch long. The raceme consists of one or more female spikelets
at the base and a number of male spikelets above, appearing as if
sessile on the top of the female spikelet, but really articulate with
the internode below it which is enclosed by the first glume of the
female spikelet.

[Illustration: Fig. 127.--Polytoca barbata.

1. Inflorescence; 2, 3, 4 and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth
glume, respectively, of the male spikelet; 4a and 5a. palea of the third
and the fourth glume, respectively; 6. the first glume of the sessile
spikelet; 7. female spikelet; 8, 9 and 10. the second, third and the
fourth glume, respectively; 11. palea of the fourth glume; 12. ovary.]

The _male spikelets_ are solitary, or binate and then one sessile and
one pedicelled, 2-flowered, reaching 3/8 inch in length and consist of
four _glumes_ each. The _first glume_ is concave,