ourth glume_ is as
long as the third, ovate, obtuse, paleate. _Anthers_ are three. _Styles_
free almost to the base. The grain is 1/12 by 1/16 inch orbicular
oblong, compressed, smooth and pale brown.

[Illustration: Fig. 117.--Cenchrus biflorus.

1. A portion of the raceme; 2. an involucel; 3, 4, 5 and 7. the first,
second, third and the fourth glume respectively; 6 and 8. palea of the
third and the fourth glumes; 9. the ovary and stamens; 10 grain.]

This grass is not so widely distributed as _Cenchrus catharticus_. It is
confined to some East Coast districts.

_Distribution._--The Punjab, Gangetic plain, Concan, Sind and
Coromandel. Also said to occur in Africa and Arabia.

=Cenchrus catharticus, _Delile._=

A tufted annual grass with geniculately ascending stems, branching at
the base.

The _leaf-sheath_ is glabrous and somewhat inflated. The _ligule_ is a
fringe of hairs. _Nodes_ are glabrous.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate, finely acuminate, 1 to 4 inches
long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch broad.

The _inflorescence_ is usually enclosed in the leaf-sheath, 1 to 6
inches long; the _rachis_ is flexuous, angular and glabrous. The
involucels are 1/4 to 1/2 inch across, turbinate or truncate at base
with an outer, shorter and inner longer series of hard, sharp, pungent
spines; the inner subulate, dorsally deeply grooved, very much longer
than the spikelets; margins ciliate to about half the distance from the
base, and the upper half covered with very short, sharp and stiff,
reflexed hairs; the outer are shorter than the spikelets, spreading or
erect, glabrous or nearly so and covered with reflexed hairs.

The _spikelets_ are usually one to two and rarely three in an involucel
and each one has four _glumes_. The _first glume_ is lanceolate and
nerveless or ovate-lanceolate and 1-nerved, half as long as the third
glume, hyaline and acute. The _second glume_ is about 1/6 inch long,
ovate, acute, membranous, 5-nerved. The _third glume_ is similar to the
second, paleate; _palea_ is lanceolate and short. The _fourth glume_ is
as long as the third, cuspidately acuminate, membranous, 5-nerved and
paleate; _palea_ is ovate, as long as the glume. _Stamens_ are three.
_Styles_ are free and long with plumose stigmas. The grain is
ovoid-oblong, brown and compressed.

[Illustration: Fig. 118.--Cenchrus catharticus.

1. A portion of the spike; 2. an involucel with two spikelets; 3, 4, 5
and 7. the first, second, third