lute, rigid, curved, and the tip
ending in a sharp point, 1 to 3 inches long.

The _inflorescence_ is a narrow panicle, cylindric, with short crowded
branches, some of them remote lower down, peduncle is smooth, and rachis
smooth or scaberulous; branches and pedicels are scaberulous.

[Illustration: Fig. 176.--Aristida mutabilis.

1. A spikelet; 2, 3 and 4. the first, second and the third glume,
respectively; 5. grain.]

The _spikelets_ are shortly pedicellate, pale-green about 1/4 inch long
exclusive of the awn. There are three glumes. The _first glume_ is
membranous, oblong-lanceolate, shortly awned, 1-nerved, keeled and
scaberulous on the keel and the sides. The _second glume_ is narrower
and longer than the first, shortly awned 1-nerved, 2-toothed, obscurely
scaberulous and encircling the third glume. The _third glume_ is narrow,
convolute, scaberulous, 3-nerved awned with a shortly bearded callus,
the awn is three branched articulate to the short column at the base
about 3/4 inch long with the middle branch slightly longer than the
other two; _palea_ is minute. _Lodicules_ are two and narrow. The grain
is narrow as long as the glume and grooved.

This resembles in general habit and appearance _Aristida Adscenscionis_,
but it is not so widely distributed. So far this has been noticed only
in Tinnevelly and Nellore districts.

_Distribution._--Southern India, the Punjab and Rajputana, also in
Arabia and tropical Africa.

=Aristida funiculata, _Trin. & Rup._=

This is a slender annual grass with geniculately ascending stems,
radiating on all sides. The stems vary in length from 10 to 20 inches.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous and cylindrical. The _ligule_ is a short
membrane ciliate at the margin, or a close set fringe of hairs.

The _leaf-blade_ is flat or convolute, narrowly linear-acuminate, with
long scattered hairs on the upper surface and tufts of long hairs at the
mouth, and varying in length from 2 to 6 inches and in breadth from 1/20
to 1/12 inch.

The _inflorescence_ is a narrow, lax panicle with short, erect,
capillary branches. The spikelets vary in length from 1/2 to 7/8 inch.

There are three _glumes_. The _first glume_ is linear-lanceolate, acute
and terminating in an awn, 1-nerved and varying in length from 3/4 to
7/8 inch. The _second glume_ is similar to the first, but narrower and
shorter, 1/2 inch or longer. The _third glume_ is very short, and is
prolonged towards the apex as a narr