NAMES AND OBSERVATIONS ON INDIAN PLANTS. 553
solete binervis marginibus inflexis. Locusta tertia pedi- cello libero insidens, neutra, univalvis. — Brown MSS.
Gramen perpulchrum, humile, stoloniferum, glabrius- culum. Culmi adscendentes, monostachyi. Folia brevia, rigidiuscula, plana, nunc conduplicata, obtusa, marginata, vagina compressa, ligula imberbi, indivisa. — Brown.
Obs. Ratzeburgia may be readily distinguished from all the other genera of Panicece, as I have defined that extensive tribe, in having at each joint of its rachis three locustae, of which two are sessile, fertile, and without aristae, while the third, which is merely rudimentary, consisting of a single valve, is supported on a pedicel entirely distinct from the rachis.
In most of these characters, indeed, it agrees with Mnesithea of Kunth {Rottbollia perforata of Roxburgh), which differs, however, in having the pedicel of its third still more imperfect locusta, connate at both extremities with the rachis, and thus contributing to form the per- forated joints so remarkable in this genus. In Mnesithea M. Kunth considers the upper valve of the glume as belonging to a third univalvnlar neuter flosculus — an opinion which seems to be founded solely on its membranaceous texture, and which, if adopted, would exclude this genus from Panicece, as I have defined them, a definition which M. Kunth certainly does not adopt, as he has included in his tribe of Rottbolliacece several genera belonging to Poacece, namely, Lepturus, Oropetium, Psilurus, and Nardus.
According to the view here taken of the structure of the two genera, Mnesithea would have nearly the same relation to Ratzeburgia in its more important characters that Rott- bollia has to Ischamum Rottbollioides, ' Prodr. Flor. Nov. Holl./ which I have in that work suggested might form a distinct genus. This genus has very recently been adopted by M. Brongniart, and named Codor acids, with a character, however, which, as far as regards the structure of the pedi- celled locusta, is so limited as to exclude both Ischcemum Rottbollioides, whose pedicelled locusta contains an her- maphrodite and a neuter flower, and Rottbollia Cceloraclds of Forster, in which that locusta contains two male flowers
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