_The spikelets_ are 1/20 to 1/16 inch long, lanceolate, acuminate, on finely capillary pedicels long or short, pale at first and becoming purplish when old. There are three _glumes_, the first two being empty. All the glumes are 1-nerved and membranous. The _first glume_ is membranous, about two-thirds of the second, sometimes less, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate slightly scaberulous on the keel. The _second glume_ is a little longer than the third, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, scaberulous on the keel. The _third glume_ is oblong-ovate, glabrous, flower bearing, paleate; the _palea_ is shorter than the glume, 2-nerved, splitting into two between the nerves. _Anthers_ are three, small, pale yellow at first but becoming purple when old, _stigmas_ are pale. _Lodicules_ are two and minute. Grain is rounded, slightly compressed, oblique at the base, nearly as long as broad. _Distribution._--In black cotton soils in Coimbatore and Bellary districts. 33. Gracilea, _Koen._ These are small tufted grasses. The inflorescence is a spike bearing unilaterally turbinate clusters of spikelets which are 2-flowered. The spikelets have usually four, and rarely six glumes and very often the rachilla is produced beyond the fourth glume. The first and the second glumes are narrow (the first being the narrowest), rigid, ciliate with long hairs and awned. The third glume is bisexual, chartaceous, broadly ovate, 3-nerved, shortly awned. The fourth glume is similar to the third but smaller and male. The fifth and sixth glumes when present are small and empty. Lodicules are two and small. Grain linear oblong. KEY TO THE SPECIES. Stems stout; leaves not filiform; tip of glume III entire 1. G. nutans. Stems slender, leaves filiform; tip of glume III toothed 2. G. Royleana. =Gracilea nutans, _Koen._= This grass is a perennial with stout fibrous roots. Stems are stout, leafy and creeping below, ascending later; naked and slender above, 4 to 10 inches long. The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous, shorter than the blade, coriaceous and open above. The _ligule_ is a ridge of hairs. The _leaf-blade_ is lanceolate, narrowed from the rounded or subcordate base to the acute tip, coriaceous, 3/4 to 1 inch long; margins are ciliate with tubercle-based cilia; the surfaces with or without a few scattered long tubercle-based hairs. The _inflorescence_ is 1 to 3 inches long, consisting of distant sessile fascicles of four to six spikelets; the _rachis_ of the spike is flexuous; the _rachis_ of the fascicles ends in three subulate empty glumes. [Illustration: Fig. 187.--Gracilea nutans. 1. A portion of the inflorescence with three fascicles of spikelets; 2. a spikelet without the first glume; 3, 4, 5 and 8. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 6 and 10. palea of the third and the fourth glume, respectively; 7. lodicules, stamens and the ovary; 9. the rachilla produced beyond the fourth glume.]