[Illustration: Fig. 114.--Pennisetum Alopecuros. A and B. Spikelets front and back view; 1, 2, 3 and 4. the first, second, third and the fourth glume, respectively; 5. palea of the fourth glume; 6. the ovary, stamens and lodicules.] The _first glume_ is very small, almost orbicular, hyaline and nerveless. The _second glume_ is about 1/3 the length of the third glume, lanceolate, acuminate, 3-nerved. The _third glume_ is about 1/3 inch long, lanceolate, acuminate, 7- to 11-nerved, epaleate and with infolded margins. The _fourth glume_ is a little longer than the third, lanceolate, acuminate, with infolded margins 5- or 6-nerved, paleate and enclosing a complete flower. The _palea_ is lanceolate, acuminate, as long as the glume. There are three _stamens_ with long, narrow, yellow anthers. _Stigmas_ are feathery. _Lodicules_ are either absent or very minute. This is a very coarse grass usually growing in stiff soils especially near wet places. _Distribution._--Occurs all over Southern India both on the plains and on low hills. [Illustration: Fig. 115.--Pennisetum cenchroides.] =Pennisetum cenchroides, _Rich._= This grass is a perennial. It consists of aerial branches and underground rhizomiferous stems, bearing thick fibrous roots and numerous buds covered by scarious sheaths. The aerial branches are tufted, erect or decumbent and geniculately ascending when in flower, much branched from the base, 6 to 24 inches long (under favourable conditions may reach even 3 to 4 feet in length). The _leaf-sheath_ is slightly compressed, keeled, with scattered long hairs outside, shorter than the internodes. The _ligule_ is a short thin membrane fringed with hairs. The _leaf-blade_ is linear, tapering to a very fine point 1-1/2 to 6 inches (sometimes 18 to 20 inches) by 1/8 to 1/4 inch scaberulous with fine long tubercle-based deciduous hairs scattered above, and the lower surface glabrous or with a few distantly scattered fine long hairs, broad at the base and constricted at the point of junction with the sheath. The _inflorescence_ is a raceme of spikes, varying from 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches, with the spikes mostly densely arranged, though occasionally distant and not close-set, on a long; slender, puberulous or scaberulous peduncle; _rachis_ is flexuous, flattened, grooved and scaberulous. The _spikes_ have involucels, consisting of two series of bristles, the outer bristles are horizontal or reflexed, numerous, fine, filiform, scabrid and purple above, shorter or longer than the spikelets; the inner bristles are two to three times longer than the spikelets, flattened and thickened at the base with a strong green nerve, ciliated with long tubercle-based hairs; one of the bristles is longer than the others and the bases of the bristles are connate at the very base into a ring; the upper portion of the bristles are filiform, scabrid and purple, the lower flattened portion being pale. [Illustration: Fig. 116.--Pennisetum cenchroides.