gule_ consists of long
soft hairs. The _nodes_ are naked or bearded.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear, flat, tapering from about the middle towards
the top, finely acuminate, and also narrowing towards the base into the
stout midrib, margins with fine long hairs at the base, 6 to 18 inches
by 1/10 to 1/3 inch, scabrous above and smooth beneath.

The _panicle_ is narrow, spike-like, silvery, 3 to 8 inches; branches
are short and appressed and the internodes of spikes are short with the
tips dilated.

The _spikelets_ are 1/8 to 1/6 inch concealed by long silvery hairs of
the callus and the glumes, articulate at the base; callus hairs are
about twice as long as the spikelet or longer.

There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is
ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, with ciliate tips and long hairs at the back
below the middle, rather thickened towards the base, dorsally hairy, 3-
to 7-nerved, nerves not reaching the tip. The _second glume_ is as long
as the first, with membranous margins and with long hairs at the back,
3- to 7-nerved. The _third glume_ is hyaline, less than half as long as
the first and second glumes, oblong, obtuse or irregularly toothed,
nerveless or 1-nerved. The _fourth glume_ is slightly shorter and
narrower than the third, ovate, acute, obtuse or toothed, ciliate,
nerveless or faintly 1-nerved, paleate; _palea_ is about half as long as
the glume, quadrate, toothed or retuse, nerveless, glabrous. There are
only two stamens with orange anthers. Styles are slender, long, with
purple _stigmas_. _Lodicules_ are absent. Grain is small and oblong.

[Illustration: Fig. 128.--Imperata arundinacea.

1. A spikelet; 2, 3, 4, and 5. the first, second, third and the fourth
glume, respectively; 6. palea of the fourth glume; 7. two stamens and
the ovary.]

This is fairly abundant in moist stiff soils. On account of the
underground stolons this grass cannot be eradicated easily.

_Distribution._--Throughout India.

19. Saccharum, _L._

These are tall perennial grasses. Inflorescence is a much branched open
panicle, branches spreading or erect, capillary and fragile. Spikelets
are small, 1-flowered, binate, one sessile and the other pedicelled, the
sessile spikelet is bisexual and the pedicelled is female and rarely
bisexual; sessile spikelets are deciduous with the contiguous joint of
the rachis and the pedicel. There are four glumes. The first glume is
chartaceous, equal in length to the second, o