The _leaf-blades_ are usually flat, glabrous, strongly nerved, with filiform tips, 3 to 10 inches by 1/25 to 1/16 inch. The _inflorescence_ is an erect narrow pyramidal panicle, varying in length from 4 to 10 inches and about 2 inches in breadth. The branches are very fine, spreading and in scattered fascicles, 1/2 to 2 inches long, with many very small spikelets arranged racemosely along the axis. _Spikelets_ are small 1/18 to 1/20 inch long, with very short pedicels. The _first glume_ is very short less than 1/5 inch, broadly oblong, nerveless, hyaline, broadly truncate and erose at the apex. The _second glume_ is a little longer than the first, but shorter than the third, hyaline, broadly elliptic-oblong, nerveless or obscurely 1-nerved. The _third glume_ is broadly ovate-oblong, subacute, 1-nerved, paleate; the _palea_ is plicate in the median line. Stamens are usually two. The grain is obovoid, truncate at the apex, and with a small white swelling in the centre at the apex, rugulose, red-brown. [Illustration: Fig. 178.--Sporobolus diander. 1. A portion of a branch; 2. a spikelet; 3, 4 and 5. the first, second and the third glume, respectively; 6. palea of the third glume; 7. anthers and the ovary.] This grass grows usually gregariously in somewhat sheltered situations all over the Presidency on the plains and low hills. This is an excellent fodder grass. It forms fairly large tufts with plenty of green leaves on rich moist soils. When the leaves are young cattle eat this grass very eagerly, but do not seem to care for it when the leaves become old. However by frequent grazing it can be made to produce young leaves in succession. This grass is also an excellent soil binder, as its roots form a perfect matting in any kind of moist soil soon after planting. This is very difficult to eradicate when once established. _Distribution._--Throughout India and Burma. [Illustration: Fig. 179.--Sporobolus tremulus.] =Sporobolus tremulus, _Kunth._= A small tufted perennial grass. The plant consists of prostrate stems and stolons, filiform and wiry. Stems vary in length from 2 to 18 inches, prostrate or erect, rooting at the lower nodes; flowering branches always ascending. The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, finely striate, shorter than the internode. The _ligule_ is a very short ciliated membrane. The _leaf-blade_ is narrow linear, pungent, somewhat rigid, flat, distichous, base rounded with or without a few long hairs and varies in length from 1/4 to 1 inch and in breadth from 1/20 to 1/16 inch, but in plants growing in rich moist soils the leaves become longer reaching 3-1/2 inches in length. The _inflorescence_ is a narrow spiciform panicle with appressed branches and spikelets, sometimes interrupted, varying in length from 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch; both the peduncle and the main rachis are glabrous, and the latter wavy. [Illustration: Fig. 180.--Sporobolus tremulus.