The _pedicelled spikelets_ are male and consist of only three glumes. The _first glume_ is elliptic, oblong, irregularly obtuse, about 11-nerved, margins slightly infolded with long pilose hairs throughout, more along the margin. The _second glume_ is a little smaller, 3-nerved, sparsely hairy only along the marginal nerves, folded inwards, and slightly keeled. The _third glume_ is shorter than the second, hyaline, nerveless, narrow-lanceolate, acute; _stamens_ are three, with green anthers, purple-dotted. _Lodicules_ are two, broad and cuneate. This grass is found flourishing all over India and grows in cultivated fields and gardens and likes sheltered places. This yields a considerable amount of fodder and stands cutting well. _Distribution._ Throughout India in the hills and the plains. [Illustration: Fig. 162.--Andropogon contortus.] =Andropogon contortus, _L._= (_Heteropogon contortus_, Beauv.) This is a tufted perennial. The stems are erect or slightly decumbent below, slender, rather compressed towards the base, leafy at the base, simple or branched, densely tufted and varying in length from 1 to 3 or 4 feet. [Illustration: Fig. 163.--Andropogon contortus. 1. Lower pair of sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 2. upper pair of sessile and pedicelled spikelets; 3, 4, 5 and 6. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of pedicelled spikelets; 7, 8, 9 and 10. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively, of the sessile spikelet; 11. ovary.] The _leaf-sheath_ is smooth or sparsely hairy, compressed and shortly auricled or not at the mouth. The _ligule_ is short, truncate and ciliolate. The _leaf-blades_ are linear, acute or abruptly acuminate, flat, rigid, sparingly ciliate above, with tubercle-based hairs towards the base, scaberulous throughout, and 2 to 12 inches long or more, 1/10 to 1/5 inch broad. The _inflorescence_ consists of a solitary spike with closely imbricating spikelets. The _spikelets_ are all on one side, and the lower two to six pairs of pedicelled and sessile spikelets are all males. The _sessile spikelets_ are all female and awned, except the few lower which are male and awnless, 1/4 inch long. The _callus_ is long, acute, bearded with reddish-brown hairs. There are four _glumes_ in the spikelet. The _first glume_ is narrow, linear-oblong, truncate or rounded, somewhat brown, many-nerved, hispid, with incurved margins and membranous tip. The _second glume_ is linear, obtuse, coriaceous, dark-brown, hispidulous, 3-nerved with incurved margins. The _third glume_ is oblong, hyaline, thin, nerveless, short and truncate. The _fourth glume_ is reduced to an awn, 3 inches or more in length. The _ovary_ is linear with two long _stigmas_.