[PDF]Grasses Of South India ( 2)

3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.


The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by
Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar and C. Tadulinga Mudaliyar


This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org


Title: A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses


Author: Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar
C. Tadulinga Mudaliyar


Release Date: December 28, 2007 [EBook #24063]


Language: English


Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1


***x START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES ***


Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, John Hagerson, Juliet
Sutherland, Leonard Johnson and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/Million Book Project)


A HANDBOOK
OF
SOME SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES


BY
Ral BAHADUR K. RANGA ACHARTYAR, M.A., L.T.,


http://ww.g utenberg .org /files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 1/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.


Indian Agricultural Service, Agricultural College, Coimbatore, and
Fellow of the Madras University


ASSISTED BY
C. TADULINGA MUDALITYAR, F.L.S.,
Agricultural College, Coimbatore.


MADRAS:
PRINTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, GOVERNMENT PRESS.
1921


Price, 4 rupees 8 annas


PREFACE


This book is intended to serve as a guide to the study of grasses of the plains of South India. For
the past few years I have been receiving grasses for identification, almost every week, from the
officers of the Agricultural and Forest Departments and others interested in grasses. The
requirements of these men and the absence ofa suitable book induced me to write this book.


I have included in this book about one hundred grasses of wide distribution in the plains of South
India. Many of them occur also in other parts of India. The rarer grasses of the plains and those
growing on the hills are omitted, with a view to deal with them separately.


The value of grasses can be realized from the fact that man can supply all his needs from them
alone, and their importance in agriculture is very great, as the welfare of the cattle is dependent
upon grasses. Farmers, as a rule, take no interest in them, although profitable agriculture is
impossible without grasses. Very few of them can give the names of at least halfa dozen grasses
growing on their land. They neglect grasses, because they are common and are found
everywhere. They cannot discriminate between them. To a farmer "grass is grass" and that is all
he cares to trouble himself about. About grasses Robinson writes "Grass is King, It rules and
governs the world. It is the very foundation of all commerce: without it the earth would be a
barren waste, and cotton, gold, and commerce all dead."


In the early days when the population was very much limited and when land not brought under
cultivation was extensive plenty of green grasses was upon it and pastures were numerous. So
the farmer paid no attention to the grasses, and it did not matter much. But now, population has
increased, unoccupied land has decreased very much and the cattle have increased in number.
Consequently he has to pay more attention to grasses.


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 [Pg iv]


http://ww.g utenberg .org /files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 2/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.
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. Ifthe 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 ofthe 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 Roap, COIMBATORE,
2nd June 1921.


[Pg v]


CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface ill
Chapter [Introduction 1
LH The vegetative organs 5
I1—The inflorescence and flower 13


http:/Awww.g utenberg .org /files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 3/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.
IV—Histology of the vegetative organs 19


V—Classification 43
VIPanicaceze 45
VII—Oryzex and Zoysieæ 123
VilI—Andropogoneze 138
Ix—Agrostideze and Chloridez 220
X—Festucacee_and Hordez 283
Glossary 311
Index 315


[Pg 1]


A HANDBOOK OF SOME COMMON
SOUTH INDIAN GRASSES.


CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION.


Grasses occupy wide tracts of land and they are evenly distributed in all parts of the world. They
occur in every soil, in all kinds of situations and under all climatic conditions. In certain places
grasses form a leading feature of the flora. As grasses do not like shade, they are not usually
abundant within the forests either as regards the number of individuals, or of species. But in open
places they do very well and sometimes whole tracts become grass- lands. Then a very great
portion of the actual vegetation would consist of grasses.


On account of their almost universal distribution and their great economic value grasses are of
great importance to man. And yet very few people appreciate the worth of grasses. Although
several families of plants supply the wants of man, the grass family exceeds all the others in the
amount and the value of its products. The grasses growing in pasture land and the cereals grown
all over the world are of more value to man and his domestic animals than all the other plants
taken together.


http:/Awww.g utenberg .org/files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 4/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.
To the popular mind grasses are only herbaceous plants with narrow leaves such as the hariali,
ginger grass and the kolakattai grass. But in the grass family or Gramineze the cereals, sugarcane
and bamboos are also included.


Grasses are rather interesting in that they are usually successful in occupying large tracts of land
to the exclusion of other plants. If we take into consideration the number of individuals of any
species of grass, they will be found to out-number those of any species of any other family. Even
as regards the number of species this family ranks fifth, the first four places being occupied
respectively by Composite, Leguminosz, Orchideze and Rubiacez.


As grasses form an exceedingly natural family it is very difficult for beginners to readily distinguish
them from one another.


The leaves and branches of grasses are very much alike and the flowers are so small that they
are liable to be passed by unnoticed. The recognition of even our common grasses is quite a task
for a botanist.


To understand the general structure of grasses and to become familiar with them it is necessary
to study closely some common grasses. We shall begin our study by selecting as a type one of
the species of the genus Panicum.


Panicum javanicum is an annual herb with stems radiating in all directions from a centre. The

plant is fixed to the soil by a tuft of fibrous roots all springing from the bases of the stems. In [Pg 2]
addition to this crown of fibrous roots, there may be roots at the nodes of some of the prostrate

branches. The stems and branches are short at first, and leaves arise on them one after the other

in rapid succession. After the appearance of a fair number of leaves the stem elongates gradually

and it finally ends in an inflorescence.


http:/www.g utenberg .org /files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 5/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.


Fic. 1.—Panicum javanicum. (Full plant.)


The stem consists of nodes and internodes. The internodes are cylindrical and somewhat
flattened on the side towards the axillary bud. When young they are completely covered by the
leaves and the older ones have only their lower portions covered by the leaf-sheaths. Usually
they complete their growth in length very soon, but the lower portion of the internode, just above
the node and enclosed by the sheath, retains its power of growth for some time.


The leaf consists of the two parts, the leaf-sheath and the leaf-blade. At the junction of these
two parts there is a very thin narrow membrane with fine hairs on its free margin. This is called [Pg 3]
the ligule. (See fig. 2.)


The leafsheath is attached at its base to the node and it is slightly swollen just above the place of
insertion. It covers the internode, one margin being inside and the other outside. The surface of
the sheath is sparsely covered with long hairs springing from small tubercles. The outer margin of
the sheath bears fine hairs all along its length. (See fig. 2.)


http:/Awww.g utenberg .org /files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 6/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.
The leaf blade is broadly lanceolate, with a tip finely drawn out. Its base is rounded and the
margin wavy, especially so towards the base. On the margin towards the base long hairs are
seen, and some of these arise from small tubercles. The margin has a hyaline border which is
very minutely serrate. There is a distinct midrib and, on holding the leaf against the light, four or
five small veins come in to view. In the spaces between these veins lie many fine veins. All the
veins run parallel from the base to the apex. At the base of the blade the veins get into the leaf
sheath and therefore the sheath becomes striated. Just above the ligule and at the base of the
leaf-blade there is a colourless narrow zone. This is called the collar.


Fic. 2.—Leaf of Panicum javanicum.
A. Full leaf} B. a portion of the leaf showing 1. the ligule and 2. the collar.


As already stated the inflorescences appear at the free ends of branches. Every branch sooner
or later terminates in an inflorescence which is a compound raceme. There are usually five or six


http:/Awww.g utenberg .org/files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 7/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.
racemes in the inflorescence. Each raceme has an axis, called the rachis, which bears unilaterally
two rows of bud-like bodies. These bud-like bodies are the units of the inflorescence and they
are called spikelets. (See fig. 3.)


Fic. 3.—The inflorescence of Panicum javanicum.
1. Inflorescence; 2 and 3. the front and the back view ofa raceme.


The spikelets are softly hairy and are shortly stalked. The pedicels of spikelets are hairy and [Pg 4]
sometimes one or two long hairs are also found on them. Each of these spikelets consists of four

green membranous structures called glumes. The first two glumes are unequal, the first being

very small. The second and the third glumes are broadly ovate-oblong with acute tips. Both are

of the same height and texture, but the second is 7-nerved and the third 5-nerved. The fourth


http:/Awww.g utenberg .org/files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 8/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.
glume is membranous when young, but later on it becomes thick, coriaceous and rugose at the
surface. Just opposite to the fourth glume there is a flat structure with two nerves, similar to the
glume in texture. This is called the palea. The fourth glume and its palea adhere together by their
margins. Inside the fourth glume and between it and the palea there are three stamens and an
ovary with two styles ending in feathery stigmas. Just in front of the ovary and outside the
stamens two very small scale-like bodies are found. These are the lodicules. They are fleshy
and well developed in flowers that are about to open. In the spikelet there is only one full flower.
The third glume contains no flower in it, but occasionally there may be in its axil three stamens.
The first two glumes are always empty and so they are called empty glumes. (See fig. 4.) In
mature spikelets the grain which is free is enclosed by the fourth glume and its palea.


Fic. 4.—Parts of the spikelets of Panicum javanicum.
A. A spikelet; 1, 2, 3 and 4. the first, second, third and the fourth glume,
respectively; 3a. palea of the third glume; 4a. palea of the fourth glume; 5.


http:/wmww.g utenberg .org /files/24063/24063-h/24063-h.htm 9/296


3/9/2014 The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, by Rai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar.


lodicules; 6. stamens; 7. ovary; 8. stigmas.


[Pg 5]


CHAPTER II.
THE VEGETATIVE ORGANS.


Grasses vary very much in their habit. Some grasses grow erect forming tufts and others form
cushions with the branches creeping along the ground. (See figs. 5 and 6.) We usually find all
intermediate stages from the erect to the prostrate habit. Underground stems such as stolons and
rhizomes occur in some grasses. Grasses of one particular species generally retain the same habit
but this does not always hold good. For example Tragus racemosus grows with all its branches
quite prostrate in a poor, dry, open soil. If, on the other hand, this happens to grow in rich soils,
or amidst other plants or grasses, it assumes an erect, somewhat tufted habit. Andropogon
contortus and Andropogon pertusus are other grasses with a tendency for variation in habit.
Plants that are usually small often attain large dimensions under favourable conditions of growth.
>>>