On account of the scarcity of fodder, people interested in agriculture and cattle rearing have very often imported foreign grasses and fodder plants into this country, but so far no one has succeeded in establishing any one of them on any large scale. Usually a great amount of labour and much money is spent in these attempts. If the same amount of attention is bestowed on indigenous grasses, better results can be obtained with less labour and money. There are many indigenous grasses that will yield plenty of stuff, if they are given a chance to grow. The present deterioration of grasses is mainly due to overgrazing and trampling by men and cattle. To prove the beneficial effects which result from preventing overgrazing and trampling, Mr. G. R. Hilson, Deputy Director of Agriculture (now Cotton Expert), selected some portion of the waste land in the neighbourhood of the Farm at Hagari and closed it for men and cattle. As a result of this measure, in two years, a number of grasses and other plants were found growing on the enclosed area very well, and all of them seeded well. Of course the unenclosed areas were bare as usual. In the preparation of this book I received considerable help from M.R.Ry. C. Tadulinga Mudaliyar Avargal, F.L.S., Assistant Lecturing and Systematic Botanist, in the description of species and I am indebted to M.R.Ry. P.S. Jivanna Rao, M.A., Teaching Assistant, for assistance in proofreading. I have to express my deep obligation to Mr. G. A. D. Stuart, I.C.S., Director of Agriculture, for encouragement to undertake this work and to the Madras Government for ordering its publication. For the excellence in the get up of the book I am indebted to Mr. F. L. Gilbert, Superintendent, Government Press. K. RANGACHARI. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, LAWLEY ROAD, COIMBATORE, _2nd June 1921._ CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE iii CHAPTER I--Introduction 1 II--The vegetative organs 5 III--The inflorescence and flower 13 IV--Histology of the vegetative organs 19 V--Classification 43 VI--Panicaceae 45 VII--Oryzeae and Zoysieae 123 VIII--Andropogoneae 138 IX--Agrostideae and Chlorideae 220 X--Festucaceae and Hordeae 283 GLOSSARY 311 INDEX 315 A HANDBOOK OF SOME COMMON SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.