Perotis hordeiformis Nees ex Hook. & Arn.

This species is very close to Perotis indica and is sometimes included within it. No single character by itself is reliable for separating the two, but the combination of characters given in the key will usually suffice.

This species may be mistaken for Perotis indica (Linn.) O. Ktze. (which is so far not recorded for Pakistan) from which it is separated by rather trivial characters. In Perotis indica the callus is more pronounced, 0.2-0.5 mm long, and the hairs on the glumes are scattered rather than in distinct rows. The distinction between the two species is not always apparent, and whether or not it can he maintained awaits further investigation.

Annual or short-lived perennial. Culms loosely tufted, erect or decumbent at base, 25–40 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 2–4 cm, 4–7 mm wide, glabrous, margins spiny-scabrous or loosely ciliate near base; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Inflorescence up to 20 cm; spikelets usually densely arranged, ascending or horizontally spreading; rachis scabrous. Spikelets 1.5–2.5 mm (excluding awns); basal callus 0.1–0.2 mm, obtuse; glumes narrowly lanceolate, back scaberulous-hirtellous in rather indistinct close rows (most obvious toward lemma base), midvein pectinate-ciliolate, apex abruptly acute, clearly demarcated from awn; awn 0.5–1.5 cm. Anthers ca. 0.3 mm. Caryopsis terete, narrowly ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. summer and autumn. 2n = 40.

Loosely tufted annual or short-lived perennial; culms (5-) 15-40 cm high, ascending. Leaf-blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1.54 (-5.5) cm long, 4-7.5 mm wide. Spikes 5-15 (-20) cm long, exserted from the uppermost sheath, the spikelets densely to rather loosely packed and ascending or spreading horizontally. Spikelets 1.5-2.5 mm long, with an obscure conical callus 0.1-0.2 mm long; glumes scaberulous to minutely hispidulous, the hairs in distinct rows, bearing a flexuous awn 5-15 mm long.

Nepal, India, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Malaysia.

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind); from Northwest India to Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

300-1000 m

Sandy places, along seashores. Guangdong, Hebei, Jiangsu, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand].

Perotis chinensis Gandoger.