BIOLOGY LIBRARY G NATAL PLANT5. VOL. 5. EDITED BY . . J. MEDLEY WOOD, A.L.S., , :DT_J:E*:B J A.:>;. AND OF Published under the auspices of Government and the Durban Botanic Society. ROBINSON & Co., LTD.. PRINTERS, MERCURY LANK, DURHAN. *.* BIOLOG ' LIBRARY G PREFACE. 9 9 the completion of this volume of " Natal Plants " I have to say with much regret that in consequence of the inability of the Government to continue the grant in aid that we have hitherto received on the completion of each volume, the work must now come to an abrupt conclusion, as the Durban Botanic Society, under whose auspices it was commenced and has been carried on. are not able to continue their assistance without the support of the Government. It will be noticed that the Plates Xos. 426 to 450 are printed in a different colour to the others, and the paper' on which they are printed is not so good, this colour was not authorised, proofs of it were not submitted, and as the letterpress and binding was done by another firm the mistake was not discovered until too late for rectification. The whole of the drawings and dissections of the plants figured in this volume were done by Miss Franks, botanical assistant in the Herbarium, and they have been completed to my entire satisfaction. I have again to offer my hearty thanks to the Director of the Royal Gardens and Herbarium at Kew. The whole of the descriptions in Vol. '2 and. with four exceptions, those of the present volume were taken from the Flora Capensis by permission ; almost the whole of the specimens have been verified at the Kew Herbarium, several specimens have been lent to us for- copying, while some others were drawn by Miss Smith, the botanical artist at Kew, and faithfully copied here by Miss Franks. It is to be regretted that so very little information as to the value of the grasses here figured could be given, but all has been quoted that I have been able to obtain, and my thanks are due to all those persons who have supplied us with the material, and also to the members of the Durban Botanic Society for much encouragement in my work. J. MEDLEY WOOD. The Parts of this Volume were issued as under : Part 1. July, 1904 ; Part 2. July, 190f> ; Part 3. March. 190(i ; Part 4. June, 1908. 316539 NATAL PLANTS. VOL. 5. !>ART 1. EDITED BY . . J. MEDLEY WOOD, A.L.S., T 1O"TA.:XIC; G A-K I )ICIMfc>. I > t I K H A IX. A. iv GO%-H;T< iviM 1-: rs;-i- i i ic ti i I.A.K] ci NI. Title Page. Preface, and Index will be published with: the concluding part of the Volume. DECEMBER, 19O4. ROBINSON & Co., J/rn.. I'RINTKRS, MI-RCURV I.ANK, DURBAN. PLATF 401 ARI5TIDA BARBICOLH5. /.v PLATE No. 401. ARISTIDA BARBICOLLIS, Triii. and Rupr. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 559), Nat. Order Graminese. PERENNIAL, tufted, light green to glaucous, glabrous except at the moaths of the sheaths. CTLMS slender, rather wiry, more or less compressed below, geniculately ascending or suberect, J to Ij foot long, simple or scantily branched from some of the lower nodes, smooth, 2-3-noded ; sheaths tight, smooth ; ligule a dense line of short hairs passing into beards or a ring of long hairs at the mouths of the sheaths : blades usually very narrow, linear, acute, l-o inches by f to I line, folded ; convolute, curved, rigid or flat and then often twisted or curled, smooth below, scabrid above. PANICLE ovate to oblong, 2-6 inches long ; rhachis straight or fiexuous, smooth ; branches solitary, distant, filiform, spreading, flexuous or straight, scaberulous, dense, spike-like from ^ to Ij inch above the base ; pedicels very short. SPIKELETS 3j lines long. GLUMES keeled, the lower lanceolate, shortly mucronate,2 lines long, keels smooth or scabrid, the v.j>j>er linear, emarginate, mucronate, 3j lines long. Valve linear, produced into a short, stout, tightly twisted beak, somewhat shorter than the upper glume, minutely scaberulous below the beak ; callus less than |- line long ; awns jointed with the valve, not disarticulating, tine, 5-9 lines long ; pale, lodicules, stamens and grain as in A. conyexta. NATAL. Near Durban, Williamson ; near Tugela, 4000 feet, 2i?0 ; near Tugela, Wood 3588 ; near Colenso, 3000 feet, Wood 4418; Umsinga and base of Biggarsberg, Buchanan !)0; without precise locality, (f'irar<>d 5!)!K) ; near Durban. W<1. Drawn from Wood's 59i)<>. from which the stamens and stigmas had fallen away, these were drawn from Buchanan's 1(!8. Fi-T 1. Lo-.vcr jrlunif : 2, upper ;!< : .'>. pi-til. >t:uniMis iiiul All enlarged. TRAGUS, Haller. Nat. Order Graminefle. SPIKELETS, sessile, in deciduous clusters of 2-4 on the filiform continuous axi; of a cylindric, spike-like panicle; rhachilla tough, not continued beyond the floret Floret 1, perfect, somewhat shorter than the upper glume. GLUMES very dissimilar, lower facing the rhachis, minute, hyaline, 01 suppressed, upper 5-ribbed or 5-nerved, membranous between the hispidor spine hooked ribs or nerves, exceeding the valve. Valve lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong membranous, 3-nerved. Pale as long as the valve, 2-nerved. Lodicules 2, broad cuneate, fleshy. Stamens 3. Styles distinct, very slender ; stigmas narrow plumose, terminally exserted. Grain enclosed by the valve and pale, oblong t< ellipsoid, slightly compressed from the back ; embryo about J the length of tin grain ; hilum punctiform, basal. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL. CULMS erect, ascending or decumbent ; blade- linear, rather rigid with cartilaginous spinulously ciliate margins ; ligules reducec to a delicate, ciliate, rim ; panicles cylindric, slender; all the spikelets of a clustei fertile, or often I more or less reduced. Species 2, one in South Africa, the other throughout the warm parts of botl: hemispheres. PLATE 404. TRAGUS RACEMOSUS, All. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 577). ANNUAL OR SUBPERENNIAL (?) CULMS fascicled, simple or branched with the branches often fascicled and densely leafy, geniculate, ascending often from a decumbent base or wholly decumbent, slender, from a few inches to 1 foot long, glabrous or pubescent near the panic'e, smooth, 3-5-noded, intermediate internodes exserted, uppermost 1 or '2 usually enclosed, and from less than 1 to 4 inches long: lowest sheaths short, broad, pallid, the following more or less herbaceous. iMthei loose, uppermost tumid, usually embracing the base of the panicle ; blades lineai to lanceolate, acute, j-2 inches by 1-2 lines, flat or wavy, rigid, very glaucous, closelv striate. PANICLE 1-5 inches long, slender; axis straight or slightly wavy, pubescent : branches very close or the lowest distant, very short, 2-3-spiculate, sometimes minutely continued beyond the uppermost spikelets. SPIKELETS facing each other when paired, lJ-2 lines long, one of a cluster often reduced ; lower glume very minute, up to J line long, hyaline, ciliolate. or quite suppressed ; upper glume slightly curved, involute, completely enveloping the floret, strongly 5-ribbed, thin between the ribs, these with rows of stout hooked spines. Valve lanceolate-oblong, apiculate or mucronulate, 1-lJ line long, thinly membranous, very minute'y pubescent, faintly 3-nerved ; pale sub-acute, obscurely 2-nerved; anthers ellipsoid, \-\ line long; grain oblong to obovoid- ellipsoid, subterete, J line long. Habitat: NATAL. Banks of Tugela River, near Colenso, 3000 feet, W<>u,I 4417; banks of Lower Tugela River, GOO feet, Bm-linimn 175; without pivri- locality, Gerrtird C>73, 157. Throughout most warm regions. This grass is of no economic or agricultural value. Fi 1, Cluster of spikelets: 2. empty spikelet : o, lower plume: 4. upper chime: 5, valve : P>, pale ; 7, pistil, stamen- and lodicules. All en /art/ ft/. PLATE 404 TRAGUS RACEMOSUS PLATE 405 SFOROBOLUS FESTIVUS. Var: stuppeus. Stapf. SPOROBOLUS, K. Br. SPIKELETS usually very small, variously panicled, continuous on the pedicels : rhachilla more or less readily disarticulating above the glumes, not continued or very rarely produced into a bristle. Floret 1, perfect. GLUMES 2, delicately membranous, lower usually smaller, nerve'ess, upper 1 -nerved, falling away one after the other. Valve more or less resembling the upper glume, 1 -nerved or more or less distinctly 3-nerved. Pale usually almost as long as the valve, 2-nerved, folded between the nerves, often split by the maturing gram. Lodicules 2, small, broadly cuneate, glabrous, thin. Stamens 3, rarely 2. Ovary glabrous ; styles short, distinct, terminal ; stigmas plumose or su'basper- gilliform. Grain free, falling out or retained and dehiscing ; pericarp thin, usually swelling in water, rigid, dehiscing, or the inner layers mucilaginous when wetted, and adherent, or the whole pericarp adnateand indistinct ; hilum small, punctiform' basal, embryo rather large. ANNUALS OR PERENNIALS of various habits ; ligules reduced to a ciliate or ciliolate rim. PANICLES contracted to spike-like, or more or less open, sometimes extremely lax ; spikelets mostly J to 1 line long. PLATE 405. SPOROBOLUS FESTIVUS, Hochst. var stuppeus, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII, p. 582). Nat. Order Qraminese. PERENNIAL, compactly tufted. CULMS erect or geniculate-ascending, slender, 4 to 1 foot long, glabrous, smooth, 2 or 3-noded ; upper sheaths glabrous except at the ciliate margins, smooth, the lower short, firm, at length breaking up into numerous persistent fibres, about J inch long, the inner covered with pallid tow-like hairs ; ligules a minutely ciliolate or almost woolly rim ; "blades narrowly linear, tapering to an acute point, usually setaceously convolute, 1-2 inches long, rarely more, by 1 line (when expanded), glabrous, smooth. PANICLE oblong to ovate, erect, 2 to 4 inches, by 1 to 1 inch, lax : rhachis straight ; branches solitary or irregularly fascicled, at length spreading, filiform to capillary, repeatedly branched from near the base ; secondary branchlets flexuous, capillary ; pedicels extremely fine, smooth, 2 to 3 times the length of the spikelets, rarely longer. SPIKELETS oblong, rather obtuse, purplish, f line long or rather less. GLUMES hyaline, acute or acuminate, minutely denticulate, the lower oblong, nerveless, almost half the length of the spikelet, the vpper ovate, nerveless or faintly 1 -nerved, about half the length of the spikelet. Valve oblong, obtuse or subacute in profile, 1 to sub-3-nerved. Pale slightly shorter. Stamens 3; anthers g line long ; grain globose-ellipsoid, line long, pericarp swelling and bursting in water ; seed free, compressed, obtusely Quadrangular ; albumen glassy Habitat : NATAL. Umsinga and base of Biggarsberg, Buchanan 96 ; near Maritzburg, St. George, 25 ( \Yood 7230). Drawn from Wood's 7236, the only specimen in the Herbarium. No stamens could be found in the specimen drawn from. Fig 1, Lower glume; 2, upper glume; 3, valve; 4, pale; 5, pi>til ami lodiciilc^. All cti/nri/fd. PLATE 406. SPOROBOLUS CENTRIFUGUS, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 584). Nat. Order Graminete, PERENNIAL, compactly tufted. CULMS erect, rather slender, f to 2 feet long, glabrous, smooth, usually 2 rarely 1-noded ; lower sheaths very firm, persistent, J to 1^ inch long, glabrous except the usually long-ciliate margins, sometimes hairy all over, smooth, finely striate, upper tight, the uppermost up to f foot long ; ligule a very minutely ciliolate rim ; blades linear, usually very narrow, tapering to an acute point, 3 to 10 inches, by to 2 lines, involute, often setaceous, particularly those of the barren shoots, rarely flat, firm, more or less glaucous, glabrous, except the often serrulate-fimbriate lower margins, rarely scantily hairy, smooth below, subscaberulous above, margins rough or tubercled. PANICLE erect, ovate or ovate-oblong, 1 to 4 inches, by f to 2 inches, usually rather dense ; lower branches in whorls of 8 to 5, obliquely erect or spreading, filiform, smooth, branched from the middle or above it ; branchlets contracted ; lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS rather crowded towards the tips of the branches, dark olive-grey, Ij to 2^ lines long. GLUMES unequal, the lower lanceolate-acuminate or acute, f to \ the length of the spikelet, rarely longer, 1 -nerved or nerveless, the /, valve ; 4, pale ; o, pistil, stamens and lodicules. A.II enlarged. PLATE 408. SPOROBOLUS IXDICUS, R. Br. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 586). Nat. Order Gramineaj. PEREXXIAL, tufted. CULMS erect, 2 to 3 feet long, glabrous, smooth, usually 2-noded below the middle, sheathed all along or the upper nodes exserted. LEAVES mostly crowded near the base, often numerous; sheaths glabrous except at the often ciliate margins, smooth, the lowest sometimes compressed, short, broad, pallid, the upper tight ; ligule a minutely ciliolate riia ; blades linear, long tapering to a fine point, 4 to almost 12 inches, by 1 to l lines, usually convolute, glabrous, smooth. PANICLE erect, spike-like, slender, often interrupted below; branches solit.trv. often irregularly crowded, very short and adpressed to the rhachis, or the lowest up to 1 inch long, filiform, smooth or scaberulous ; lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS dark olive-green, crowded, 1 line long. GLUMES unequal, the lower oblong or elliptic, obtuse, often denticulate, about J the length of the spikelet, nerveless, the upper ovate-oblong, acute or subacute, about f the length of the spikelet, sometimes 1 -nerved. Valve lanceolate-oblong, acute or acuminate, 1 -nerved. Pale scarcely shorter. Stamens 3 ; anthers J lint- long ; grain ellipsoid, truncate, quadrangular, slightly compressed, i line long. brown, pericarp thin. Habitat: NATAL. Geirard 588 ; Zululand, Jenkinson 6 (Wood 7303). Var. laxus (Stapf), usually more robust; panicle looser, ^ to 1^ foot long : branches more distant, longer, more or less spreading ; spikelets often secund : " all over the Colony." Buchanan 243 ; near Durban, Williamson 2, 101 ; at the borders of woods near the Umlazi River, A'mnss 7, partly ; between the Umzimkulu and Umkomanzi Rivers, Dreye. Drawn from Jenkinson's 6 (Wood 7303). Jenkinson says of this grass : " Used for cattle, seeds much liked by birds and poultry." Fig 1, Lower glume; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens anclloclicule*. All enlarged. PLATE 408 SPOROBOLU5 INDICUS. PLATE 409. POGONAKTHRIA FALCATA. POGONARTHRIA, Stapf SPIKELETS laterally compressed, subsessile, more or less imbricate, secund on the irregularly spirally arranged branches of a panicle ; rhachilla disarticulating above tha glumes and between the valves, tips of the joints ciliate. Florets 2 to 8 perfect. GLUMES rigidly membranous, 1 -nerved. Valves oblong, rigidly membranous, acuminate, quite glabrous, 3-nerved ; side-nerves evanescent above the middle! Pales 2-keeled, slightly shorter than the valves. Lodicules 2, minute, delicate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct ; stigmas plumose. Grain tightly embraced by the scarcely altered valve and pale, linear-oblong, obtusely triquetrous or oval in cross section ; embryo less than J the length of the grain ; hilum basal, punctiform. PERENNIAL, stiff; blades rigid, usually convolute; ligule a fringe of cilia ; panicles straight, with spreading more or less curved branches in irregular spirals ; spikelets secund, crowded, livid, purplish or dark grey. Species 1, in tropical South-East Africa, and in extra-tropical South Africa. Hackel, who described the only species of this genius under Leptochloa, has already remarked that it differs considerably from all other species of Leptochloa. The differences exist mainly in the coarse rigid habit and in the structure of the spikelets, the glumes and valves of which are more rigidly membranous, livid purplish or dark grey, and quite glabrous, whilst the tips of the rhachilla joints are ciliate ; the valves resemble more those of Eragrostis than of Leptochloa, and the affinity of the genus lies most certainly with the former. PLATE 409. POGONARTHRIA FALCATA, Rendle. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 589). Nat. Order Graminepe. PERENNIAL, cajspitose, quite glabrous except the mouth of the sheath. CULMS strictly erect or subgeniculate, 1 to 2j feet long, terete, smooth, about 3-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths tight, terete, smooth, mouth bearded ; ligule a fringe of minute cilia ; blades linear, setaceously attenuated, 4 to 8 inches, by 1 to 2 lines, flat or more often convolute, rigid, subglaucous, quite smooth, striate. PANICLE linear, 4 to 10 inches, by J to 2 inches, usually straight ; rhachis sulcate, scaberulous ; branches often 2 to 5 close together, more or less spreading, usually curved, up to 1 inch long, flat on the back, wavy, simple, bearing spikelets from the base, scabrid. SPIKELETS 1^ to 3 lines long, livid, purplish or dark grey; rhachilla joints up to J line long. GLUMES lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, reddish, subacuminate, scaberulous, hnrer g to J line long, upper f to 1 line long. Valves lanceolate in profile, oblong when expanded, acutely acuminate or mucronulate, 1 line long ; callus very minute, obtuse, glabrous; pales 1 line long ; keels scabrid ; lodicules ^ line long; anthers ;? to ^ line long ; grain linear-oblong, oval in cross section, line long. Habitat : NATAL. Tugela River, 600 feet alt., Buchanan 242 ; Umlaas Drift, Wood 1910 ; near Dundee, IP. E. Green 98 (Wood 7453). Also in tropical South Africa as far as the Zambesi. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper gltune ; 3, valve ; 4, pale : 5, pistil, stamens and lodieuli-. ./// f/iliin/ciL DIPLACHNE, Beauv. SPIKELETS shbrtly pedicelled or subsessile, somewhat distant or remote on the simple slender branches of a panicle ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves, glabrous. Florets 2 to 10, perfect, or the uppermost, reduced. GLUMES unequal or subequal, membranous, 1 -nerved, keeled, persistent. Valves oblong to linear-oblong, 2 -toothed or minutely notched, rarely quite entire, muticous or mucronulate from the sinus, very rarely shortly awned from below the apex, membranous, 3-nerved, usually finely ciliate in the lower part of the nerve, or sometimes quite glabrous ; side nerves percurrent or almost (or sometimes very shortly) excurrent Pales 2-keeled, shorter than the valves. Lodicules 2, cuneate, fleshy, nerved. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct, slender ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain enclosed by the slightly altered valve and pale, . oblong to obovoid-obloug, dorsally compressed, sometimes quite flat, rarely terete ; embryo equalling J to the length of the grain ; hilum punctiform, basal. Mostly perennial, tufted, somewhat coarse grasses ; blades long, narrow, flat or involute ; ligules membranous, sometimes reduced to a rim. PANICLES consisting of slender, usually long, simple, loosely spike-like and more or less distant branches. SPIKELETS light or olive-green, often tinged with purple and dark. Species about 12, mainly in the warm regions of the Old World and in North America. PLATE No. 410. DIPLACHNE FUSCA, Beauv. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 591). Nat. Order Graminese. PERENNIAL, glabrous. CULMS tufted, stout, geniculately ascending or erect, often branched from the lower nodes, 3 to 5 feet long, terete, smooth, 3-4-noded, or many noded when branched, internodes enclosed except the uppermost or shortly exserted ; sheaths smooth, almost shining or the upper rough, the basal whitish, slightly compressed, bluntly keeled ; ligules hyaline, oblong, acute, up to 2 lines long ; blades very narrow, linear, tapering to a fine often subpungent point, 3 to inches, by 1 to lj line when expanded, folded or convolute or sometimes flat, rather rigid, rough on both sides, rarely almost smooth below. PANICLE erect, straight or slightly nodding, obovate-oblong to linear, con- tracted or open ; rhachis slender, angular, rough ; branches scattered or 2-3 close together, often more or less flexuous, the longest 3 to 5 inches, usually racemose ; pedicels short. SPIKELETS distant by half their length or more, narrow, oblong, 3 to 5 lines long, 5 to 10-flowered, usually dark olive-grey, rarely light or whitish. GLUMES lanceolate to oblong, obtuse or acute, often obscurely mucronate, the lower about 1 line long, the upper \\ to 2 lines ; valves oblong, tips broad, entire or minutely emarginate, and with a tooth on one or both sides, middle and side- nerves excurrent into a short or obscure rnucro, or only the former, side-nerves silky ciliate below ; callus hardly any, pales minutely 2-toothed, flaps hairy along the keels ; anthers \ line long ; grain oblong, dorsally compressed, up to 1 line long ; embryo almost f the length of thegrain. Habitat : NATAL. Clairmont, near Durban, 50 feet alt., Wood 6045. Drawn from Wood's specimen, the only one in the Herbarium. Natal is not credited with this species in the Flora Capensis. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 410. DIPLACHNE FUSCA. war FLA II. 411 D1PLACHNE Bl FLORA. HACK. PLATE 411. DIPLACHNE BIFLORA, Hack. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 593). Nat. Order Gramineee. PERENNIAL, almost glabrous. CULMS tufted on a short oblique rhizome, erect, 1 to '2 feet long, terete, simple, slender, rough below the nodes, about 3-noded, internodes usually enclosed except the uppermost. LEAVES crowded near the base ; sheaths tight, terete, scaberulous or smooth, firm, the lowest reduced to bladeless scales ; ligule a membranous ciliolate rim ; blades linear, tapering to an acute point, 3 to 7 inches, by 2-3 lines, rigidly erect, flat or convolute, with scattered stiff hairs, particularly near the base, rough on both sides, glaucous. PANICLE contracted, obovate to linear-oblong, 2 to 6 inches long, glaucous, purplish ; rhachis scabrid, angular ; branches simple, solitary or paired, sub- flexuous, bearing spikelets from the base or almost so, lowest up to 2 inches long. SPIKELETS 2-3-flowered, subsecund, 2-ranked, lower slightly exceeding the internodes, upper closer, shortly but distinctly pedicelled, about 2i lines long. GLUMES subequal, lanceolate, acute, 2 to 2j lines long, minutely scabrid ; margins and tips hyaline ; valves up to 2| lines long, entire, acute or very minutely 2-toothed, very shortly awned from below the readily splitting pruinose tips, nerves silky-ciliate to the middle (at least in the lower floret) ; callus minute, acute, bearded ; pales obtuse, not quite 2 lines long, keels scabrid ; anthers 1 line long ; grain oblong-linear, terete, 1 line long. Habitat : NATAL. Mountain slopes near Umpumulo, 2500 feet alt., Buchanan 9R9 iiQti, Drawn from Buchanan's 282, the only specimen in the Herbarium. A note in the Flora Capensis says : " Rather different from the other species of the genus, and perhaps not a true Diplachne." Also in Transvaal and Basutoland. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodiculcs. All cul ERAGROSTIS, Beauv. SPIKELETS usually strongly laterally compressed, pedicelled in open or con- tracted panicles, rarely sessile in simple or compound spikes, very rarely articulate on the pedicels ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves or tough and persistent, glabrous, sometimes more or less scaberulous ; very rarely minutely hairy. Florets 2 to many, perfect or the uppermost reduced. GLUMES unequal or equal, usually membranous, I -nerved, or the upper some- times 3-nerved, keeled, persistent or deciduous. Valves more or less imbricate, ovate to lanceolate, acute or obtuse, entire, muticous, membranous to chartaceous, 3-nerved, glatfrous, very rarely minutely pubescent ; side-nerves short or almost percurrent. Pales equal to the valves or slightly shorter, membranous, 2-keeled, deciduous or persistent on the rhachilla. Lodicules 2, small, cuneate, more or less fleshy. Stamens 3, rarely 2. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain enclosed by the scarcely altered valve and pale and deciduous with them, or more commonly falling, with the deciduous valve, leaving the more or less persistent pale behind, oblong to obovoid or globose, round or very obtusely triquetrous or quadrangular in cross section ; pericarp thin, sometimes slightly swelling or separating ; embryo often i as long as the grain (or sometimes longer) ; hilum punctiform, basal. PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL, of very varying habit ; blades narrow ; ligule reduced to a fringe of usually minute hairs ; panicles lax to effuse or contracted to spike-like, or transformed into simple or compound spikes ; spikelets usually more or less olive- green or olive-grey, breaking up variously, very rarely deciduous as a whole Species very numerous in the warm parts of the world. PLATE 412. ERAGROSTIS C^ESIA, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 599). Nat. Order Graminete. PERENNIAL, densely tufted. CULMS erect, slender, compressed, simple, | to l foot long, glabrous, smooth, 1-noded, at or below the middle, Intel-nodes shortly exserted, or both or the upper alone enclosed ; lower sheaths crowded, almost flabellate, strongly compressed and keeled, often pinkish with white margins, upftcr tight or widening" upwards, all quite glabrous and smooth except at the scantily bearded mouth ; ligule a fringe of minute hairs ; blades tightly convolute, finely setaceous, 3 to 10 inches long, flexuous, rather firm, glabrous, smooth. PANICLE nodding, contracted, more or less linear, 3 to 8 inches long; axis filiform, smooth ; branches solitary, rather distant, lowest often enclosed at the base in the uppermost sheath, finely filiform, compressed, smooth, divided from the base or some distance above it; branchlets distant, simply racemose or the lower again divided and then up to f inch long, usually adpressed to the branches; pedicels short to very short. SPIKELETS rather crowded, lanceolate, acute, 2| to 5| lines by 1 line, grey, closely 3 to 5-flowered, rhachilla disarticulating, smooth. GLUMES unequal, deciduous, linear-oblong in profile, acute or subobtuse, sub- hyaline, 1 -nerved or (particularly the lower) nerveless, lower f to 5 line long, upper over 1 line long. Valves lanceolate, acute or sometimes mucronulate, 1J to if line long, thin, smooth except on the scaberulous acute keels. Pales 1 line long, keels narrowly winged, scaberulous Anthers f line long. Habitat : NATAL. Riet Vley, 4000 to 5000 feet alt,, Buchanan 240. Drawn from Buchanan's specimen. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, stamens, pistil and lodicules. All cnlarqcd. PLATE 412. 5 OEi, PLATE ERAGROSTSS CU RVU LA. PLATE 413. ERAGROSTIS CURVULA, Nees, var. valida, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 599). Nat. Order Gramineas. PERENNIAL, very densely tufted, with numerous closely packed innovation shoots. CULMS erect or geniculate, usually slender, simple, 1 to 2 feet high, glabrous^ smooth, 2 to 3 noded, internodes usually exserted, uppermost very long; lower sheaths crowded, short, firm, strongly striate, tomentose at the base, gradually less hairy to glabrous upwards, persistent, upper tight, glabrous or rarely hairy, smooth ; ligule a fringe of short hairs. Blades narrow, linear, long tapering and usually capillary in the upper part, 3 inches to more than 1 foot long, 1 to 1| line wide at the base when expanded, more or less filiform-involute or convolute, at least in the upper part, fiexuous, somewhat firm, glabrous, very rarely hairy, scabrid on the upper side and all over towards the tips, otherwise smooth. PANICLE open or contracted, erect or more or less nodding, 3 to 10 inches long ; axis filiform, more or less angular, smooth, at least below ; branches solitary, unequally distant or partly subverticillate, first erect then more or less spreading, finely filiform, flexuous, smooth or almost so, glabrous or sometimes with a few tine hairs at the axils, lower divided from 3 to 6 lines above the base ; branchlets rather loose, usually contracted, simple or the lowest again divided, smooth, rarely the ultimate divisions scaberulous ; pedicels unequal, lateral usually short rarely up to 2 lines long. SPIKELETS linear-oblong to oblong, 2 to 3 lines by 1 line, loosely 3 to 6- ( rarely to 8-) flowered, usually dark olive-grey; rhachilla subpersistent, then disarticulating, more or less very minutely hairy. GLUMES more or less unequal, lanceolate to oblong, acute to subobtuse, thinly membranous to almost hyaline, 1 -nerved or sometimes nerveless, keel if present scaberulous, upper up to 1 line long, lower slightly shorter. Valves lanceolate- oblong in profile, obtuse or subobtuse, 1 line long or slightly longer, membranous, scaberulous above the middle, tips usually hyaline and white, side-nerves fine. Pales equal to the valves, obtuse, keels fine, smooth or scaberulous above. Anthers to J line long. Grain sub-ellipsoid, obtusely quadrangular, line long, brown, embryo large. VAR. CONFERTA, Nees. On the whole taller and more robust ; panicle con- tracted, dense, with the branches more or less verticillate and divided from the base, divisions more often scabrid than in the type. Spikelets usually crowded, linear to linear-oblong, up to 5 lines long, and to 13-flowered, light olive-green to dark olive-grey. VAR. VALIDA, Stapf Culms usually robust, tall, 3 to 4-noded ; sheaths glabrous and smooth or more or less hairy from often tubercle-based hairs ; blades up to more than 2 feet, by 2 to 3 lines. Panicle to 1 foot, contracted or open ; axis smooth or scabrid ; branches 3 to 6 inches long, flexuous, much divided from the base or simple for as much as 1 inch. Spikelets linear to linear-oblong, 3j to 5j lines long, 7 to 13-flowered. Glumes and valves very slightly larger than in the type. NATAL. Umsinga and base of Biggarsberg, Buchanan 93 ; vf.tr. conferta, near Durban, Plant 57 ; Geirard and McKeu 35 (approaching the type) ; Umpumulo, 2000 feet alt., Buchanan 248, 249a ; very common at Riet Vlei, 4000 feet alt., Buchanan 78, 249 ; Gerrard 675 (approaching the type) ; var. valida, Berea, Wood 5940 ; Umhlanga, 6060 ; Van Reenen's Pass, 7224 ; Pietermaritz- Imrg, 7229. A generally useful grass ; native name Uviti (Jenkinson). Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 414. ERAGROSTIS CHLOROMELAS, Steud. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 602). Nat. Order GramineaB. PERENNIAL, very densely tufted with closely packed innovation shoots. CULMS erect or geniculate, slender, simple, very rarely branched above the base, i to 1|- foot long, sub-compressed, glabrous, or very rarely scantily hairy, smooth, usually 2-noded, internodes exserted, uppermost very long ; lower sheaths crowded, very short, firm, adpressedly hairy to tomentose at the very base or quite glabrous, persistent, upper tight, glabrous or with few fine scattered hairs, long- bearded at the mouth ; ligule a fringe of short hairs. Blades very narrow, filiform- convolute, capillary above, flexuous, 3 to 6 inches long, rarely longer, to 1 line broad when expanded, somewhat rigid, glaucous, glabrous or scantily hairy, scaberulous or scabrid on the upper face and all over towards the tips, otherwise smooth. PANICLE open, ovoid or pyramidal, lax, 2 to 8 inches long, erect, rather rigid ; axis filiform, smooth ; lower branches in whorls of 5-3, or 2-nate, rarely all solitary, spreading, finely filiform, straight or subflexuous, glabrous or sometimes with a few fine hairs at the axils, longest J \ to 4 inches long, undivided for \ to 1 inch from the base, then very loosely and at length divaricately branched, smooth or the ultimate divisions scaberulous ; pedicels capillary, the lateral 1 to 3 lines long. SPIKELETS scattered, linear, acute, 2 to 4 lines by J to f line, loosely 5 to 13-flowered, dark olive-grey to slate-grey ; rhachilla subpersistent, then disarticu- lating, very slender, flexuous, smooth, or almost so, joints up to (| line long. GLUMES unequal, deciduous, lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong in profile, thinly acute or subacute, membranous or hyaline, 1 -nerved, scaberulous on the nerve ; lower J to f line, upper f to 1 line long. Valves obliquely oblong in profile, subacute to acute, f to f line long, membranous, smooth, side-nerves fine ; pales equal to the valves, obtuse, keels fine, smooth or nearly so. Anthers about line long ; grain oblong-ellipsoid, obtusely quadrangular, J line long, brown ; embryo large. R&bitdit: NATAL. Near Ladysmith, lielimann 7130, 7134; Umhlanga, Wood 6058 ; near Van Reenen's Pass, 5000 to 6000 feet alt., Wood 7221. Drawn from Wood's 7221, Van Reenen, 14-12-1898. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glurne ; 3, valve ; 4, pa'le ; 5, pistil, stamens anil lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 414. ERAGROSTIS CHLORO/ntLAS. N, PLATE 415. ERAGROSTI5 NEBULOSA. STAPF. PLATE 415. ERAGROSTIS NEBULOSA, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. (303). Nat. Order Gramine;e, PERENNIAL, densely tufted on a short oblique rhizome. CULMS erect, rather slender, stiff, 2 to 3 feet long, glabrous, smooth, about 3-noded, internodes long, exserted, nodes slightly marked ; lower sheaths com- pressed, more or less kee'ed, -4 to 5 inches long, very firm, usually scarcely striate, quite glabrous, very smooth, often shining, upper tight, terete scantily bearded at the mouth or quite glabrous ; ligule a fringe of very minute hairs ; b'ades very narrow, finely filiform and caniculate below, capillary in the upper part, 1 foot long or longer, conspicuously narrower than the sheath at their junction, rather rigid below, very flexuous above, glabrous, smooth or scaberulous towards the tips. PANICLE erect or nodding, large, at length open and very lax, f to Ij foot long and almost as wide, axis filiform, terete, smooth ; branches 3-2-nate or partly solitary, at length spreading, the longest 4 to 6 inches long and undivided for 1 to 2 inches from the base, then like the rest distantly branched, finely filiform, glabrous, smooth or scaberulous; branchlets again scantily and loosely divided, up to li inch long, like the often long pedicels capillary and very flexuous. SPIKELETS linear, acute, 2 to 3 lines by J to f line, loosely 4 to iO-flowered, olive-grey ; rhachilla subpersistent, very slender, smooth. GLUMES subequal, lanceolate, acute in profile, f to f line long, delicate, 1 -nerved, keel scaberulous Valves lanceolate-oblong in profile, acute to sub- acuminate | line long, membranous, smooth, slightly shining, side-nerves faint and short. Pales equalling the valves, keels smooth or almost so. Anthers J to J line long ; grain oblong, line by ^ line, brown. Habitat : NATAL. On the Drakensberg Range, near Newcastle, Buchanan 196 ; De Beer's Pass, 5000-GOOO feet alt., Wood 59U2 ; Mooi River, 3000 to 4000 feet alt , Maxoti 40 ( Wood 7325) ; near Greytown, 3000-4000 feet alt., Wood 7343. Drawn from Wood's 7343. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All I'u'di-ijnl. PLATE 416. ERAGROSTIS PLANA, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. o09). Nat. Order Grain inead. PERENNIAL, densely tufted. CULMS erect or suberect, strongly compressed, 2 to 3 feet long, glabrous, smooth, 3-noded, upper internodes long, usually more or less exserted. LEAVES crowded and almost flabellate at the base, striate, glabrous; sheaths strongly compressed, keeled, pallid ; ligule a dense fringe of short hairs ; blades very narrow, linear, long tapering to a setaceous point, tightly folded, flexuous, 8 to more than 12 inches long, closely striate, smooth on the lower, scabrid and whitish on the upper side. PANICLE narrow linear to oblong, nodding, \ to 1 foot long ; axis angular, smooth ; branches solitary, very unequally distant, erect or slightly spreading, subflexuous or somewhat nodding, longest 1 to 4 inches long, finely filiform, more or less triquetrous, smooth or scabrid along the angles, remotely divided from near the base with the lower branchlets 3-2 spiculate, or all simply racemose ; pedicels up to Ij line long. SPIKELETS linear, 3 to 6 lines, by 1 line, olive-green to olive-grey, loosely 7 to 15- flowered ; rhachilla suLpersistent. GLUMES very unequal, lanceolate to oblong, acute or obtuse, pallid, 1 -nerved, lou'er about \ line long, upper line long. Valves somewhat spreading, obliquely oblong in profile, folded, acute or subacute, 1 to ij line long, keel smooth, like the side-nerves prominent, rigid, almost straight. Pales equal to the valves, keels curved, scaberulous above. Anthers f to f line long ; grain oblong, f line by ^ line, reddish brown. Habitat : NATAL. Berea, Wood 5928, 5937 ; Mooi River, Wood 7320 ; Riet Vlei, Buchanan 247 ; near Durban, Williamson 54 ; and without precise locality, Buchanan 244. Drawn from Wood's 5937. Fig 1, Lo-.ver glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All cnlinyed. PLATE 416 CRAG ROSY IS PLAN A PLATE 417. ERAGROSTIS CHAPELIERi PLATE 417. ERAGROSTIS CHAPELIERI, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 614). Nat. Order Gramineae. PERENNIAL, tufted. CULMS erect or suberect, simple, somewhat stout, 2 to 3 feet high, glabrous, 3-4-noded, intermediate and upper internodes exserted, upper- most very long ; sheaths glabrous except at the more or less bearded mouth, or the lower scantily hairy, striate, lower very firm, persistent ; ligule a narrow long hairy rim ; blades very narrow, linear, tapering to fine point, usually involute or convolute, 3 to 10 inches long, 1 line broad at the base when expanded, rigid, closely striate, more or less hairy towards the base on the upper side, glabrous and smooth underneath. PANICLE erect, contracted, very narrow, 3 to \j inches long; axis slender, striate ; branches erect, more or less adpressed to the axis, lowest solitary, 2 to 5 inches long, undivided for some distance, then (like the upper part of the axis) bearing fascicles of shortly pedicelled or subsessile spikelets on short branchlets crowded towards the tips, or all branches very short, and then the panicle resembling an interrupted false spike ; ultimate divisions and pedicels scabrid. SPIKELETS linear, much compressed, 3 to 8 lines by 1^ to lj line, reddish- brown, 7 to 20-flowered ; rhachilla persistent, glabrous, smooth, joints very short. GLUMES equal or more or less unequal, deciduous, lanceolate, about 1 line long, 1 nerved or upper sub-3-nerved, membranous, keels scaberulous above. Valves broad, obliquely ovate in profile, shortly subacuminate or acute, 1 line long or very slightly longer, rather firm, deciduous from the base upwards, keels scaberulous above, side-nerves strong. Pales slightly shorter than the valves, persistent, keels stout and rigidly ciliolate. Stamens 2, anthers about 5 to J line. Grain short ellipsoid, laterally compressed, to ^ line long, whitish, subtranslucent. Habitat : NATAL. Umpumulo, 2000 feet alt., Buchanan 254a ; near Durban, \VilIiiunxnn, 58; valley of the Umlazi River, Dreye ; without precise locality. Plant 59 ; Gerrard 481. Also in tropical Africa, Delagoa Bay, and the Mascarene Islands. " When the spikelets are very crowded the lower florets are often more or less reduced and barren." Drawn from Buchanan's 25 4a. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and loilifulc<. All enlarged. PLATE 418. ERAGROSTIS CHALCANTHA, Trin. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 615). Nat. Order Graminere. PERENNIAL, densely ccespitose. CULMS erect, straight. | to 1 foot long, glabrous, smooth, 1-noded, uppermost internode occupying f or more of the culm and long exserted. LEAVES crowded at the base, more or less beset with spreading often tubercle- based hairs, rarely quite glabrous ; sheaths striate, tight, bearded at the mouth or not, lowest firm, persistent ; ligule a dense fringe of very short hairs ; blades linear, tapering to a fine often subcallous point, 1 to 4 inches by 1 to 2 lines, flat or more or less involute or convolute, particularly in the upper part, rigid, (smooth or scaberulous on the upper side, obscurely striate above, conspicuously so below. PANICLE ovate to oblong, I to 3 inches long, more or less contracted ; axis smooth below, compressed and scabrid along the angles above ; branches solitary, spreading, 3 to 9 lines long, racemosely 6 to 2-spiculate or shorter and reduced ito a sing'e spikelet, filiform, more or less angular, scabrid ; pedicels often puberulous, very short. SPIKELETS ovate-oblong to oblong, obtuse, somewhat turgid, 2j to 4 lines, by lj to if line, closely 7 to 15 -flowered, olive-green to almost leaden-grey ; rhachilla persistent, smooth, joints very short. GLUMES unequal, ovate, obtuse to subacute, vpper longer, about \ line long, keels scabrid. Valves broadly and obliquely ovate, obtuse to subacute, 1 line long, membranous, side-nerves more or less inconspicuous, keel scaberulous near the tip, pales | line long, keels spinulously scabrid. Anthers about J to f line long. Grain subglobose to almost cubic, less than J line long, brown, embryo very large. Habitat: NATAL. Durban Bay, Krw.iss 295; Durban Flats, B>, 72. Also in tropical Africa and throughout tropical Asia. In Australia this grass is said to be a valuable fodder plant, " palatable and nutritious, and unaffected by drought." Fi.u r 1, Lower glume : 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 3a. valve iu profile ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, st-.unens and lodicules. All PLATE 420. ERAOROSTIS MAJOR, Host. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. G20). Nat. Order Graminesa ANNUAL, tufted. CULMS geniculate-ascending or sub-erect, usually stout and branched below, ^ to 2 feet long, glabrous, smooth, 3 to 4-noded, internodes more or less exserted ; sheaths loose, strongly striate, keeled in the upper part, often glandular, particularly on the keel and the nerves above, glabrous or scantily hairy, bearded ; ligule a fringe of short hairs ; blades linear or lanceolate-linear, long tapering to a fine point, 2 to 6 inches by 1 J to 4 lines, fiat, more or less flaccid, light green or subglaucous, glabrous or very scantily hairy, smooth below, scaberulous above, usually glandular along the margins. PANICLE oblong to ovate-oblong, stiff, - to more than 6 inches long, dense or rather lax ; axis terete, smooth ; branches sub-solitary spreading, stiff' or flexuous, lowest up to 3J inches long or all short, branched from near the base ; lateral pedicels J to U line long, all the divisions filiform, angular, scabrid. SPIKELETS linear to ovate-oblong, 2 to 6 lines long, by 1 to almost '2 lines, subflexuous if very long, light or dark olive-green, few to 50-flowered ; rhachilla persistent. GLUMES subequal, ovate oblong, subobtuse to acute, f or almost 1 line long, 1- (or the upper 3-) nerved, keels scabrid, margins minutely serrulate. Valves broadly and obliquely ovate in profile, obtuse or subobtuse, 1 to 1^- line long, side- nerves prominent, strong Pales persistent, somewhat shorter than the valves, broad, keels scabrid or ciliolate. Anthers oblong, about I, to ^ line long ; grain globose, brown, loose within the turgid valves, ^ to ^ line in diameter. ' Habitat: NATAL. By the Tugela River, 600 to 1000 feet alt., ] 253 ; without precise locality, Ge'ircird 472. Probably introduced. A native of the Mediterranean regions and India. Drawn from Buchanan's 253, the only specimen in the Herbarium. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, tipper glume ; 3, valve in profile ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 420. ERAGROSTIS WAJOR. PLATE 421. ERAGROST15 SUPERBA. reri PLATE 421. ERAGROSTIS SUPERBA, Peyr. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. o22). Nat. Order Gramineee. PERENNIAL, densely ctespitose with intravaginal innovations, glabrous. CULMS erect or geniculately ascending, 2 to 3 feet long, rather stout, smooth, 2-noded, internodes exserted, uppermost very long; sheaths smooth, bearded at the mouth, lowest crowded, broad at the base, keeled, persistent, upper terete, tight ; ligule a fringe of short hairs ; blades linear, long tapering to an acute point, 2 to 8 inches or more by 1 to 3 lines, firm, more or less rigid, upper often spreading, usually more or less involute or convolute, rarely quite flat, smooth below, scaberulous on the upper side. PANICLE narrow, linear or oblong, often interrupted below, erect, 4 to 10 inches long ; axis usually straight, smooth, terete below, angular above, branches distant, erect or suberect, solitary, filiform, usually simply racemose, J to 3 inches long, 1 to 10 spiculate, rarely branched; pedice's very unequal, lateral, J to 3 lines long. Spikelets articulated with the pedicels, deciduous, rather distant or clustered towards the tips of the branches or branchlets, strongly compressed from the side, Buborbicular, ovate to ovate-oblong, 3 to 8 lines by 2j to 4j lines, straw-coloured rarely more or less purplish, 7 to 37-flowered. GLUMES subequal, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate in profile, acute or mucronate 1^ to '2^ lines long, 1-nerved, firmly membranous, strongly keeled. Valves obliquely oblong, subacute, if to 2| lines long, acutely keeled, subchartaceous, side-nerves prominent and often green. Pales 2-fid, keels winged, wings narrowed upwards, produced into obtuse auricles at base, ciliolate. Anthers 1 line long ; grain oblong, 1 line long ; pericarp loose ; seed truncate at both ends, sub- quadrangular, brown. Habitat : NATAL. Weenen County, 5000 feet alt., Wood 4416 ; at 3500 feet alt., \Vood 3587 ; banks of the Tugela River, Buchanan 255 ; and without precise locality, liermrd 4G8 ; Zululand, Wood 7307. Also from Delagoa Bay, Forbes, and in tropical Africa. Drawn from Wood's 3587. The native name of this grass is Madolwana. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens ami lodicules. All t'nlari/cd. PLATE 4:22. ERAGROSTIS BRIZOIDES, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 622). Nat. Order Graminete PERENNIAL, compactly tufted with intravaginal innovation shoots. CULMS erect or geniculate-ascending, slender, firm, from f to more than 2 feet long, glabrous, smooth, 1 to 3-noded, internodes exserted, uppermost occupying from J to 5 the length of the culm ; sheaths tight, glabrous except the bearded mouth, lowest short, crowded, persistent ; ligule a fringe of minute hairs ; blades narrow, linear, tapering to a fine point, 2 to 4 inches (rarely to 8 inches) by 1 to Ij line, usually more or less convolute or involute and rigid, glabrous, smooth below, scaberulous above, striate. PANICLE linear to oblong, contracted, 2 to 4 inches long, erect or nodding ; axis filiform, flexuous, smooth, branches solitary, filiform, angular, smooth, racemosely 6 to 2 spiculate ; pedicels very short. SPIKELETS crowded or sometimes more distant, ovate to ovate-oblong, or suborbicular, strongly compressed, 2 to 6 lines, by lj to 3 lines, densely 5 to 40-flowered, straw-coloured, usually tinged with dull purple ; rhachilla persistent, rather stout, joint very short. GLUMES and valves similar, closely imbricate, rigidly membranous to sub- chartaceous, obtuse, back broad, keeled. Glumes subequal, oblong in profile, l.J \<> lj line long, lower 1 -nerved ; valves obliquely elliptic-oblong in profile, li to if line long, side-nerves prominent, keel adpressedly ciliate. Pales subequal to the valves, broad, keels very densely and minutely ciliolate. Anthers \ line long. Grain narrowly oblong, not quite I line by ^ line ; pericarp slightly swelling in water Habitat : NATAL. Riet Vlei, 4000 to 5000 feet alt., Buchanan 251 ; Durban Flats, Buchanan 27 ; near Durban, Williamson 59 ; Coastland, Sntlu'i-lmul ; throughout Natal, Kranss 365 ; Inanda, 1800 feet alt., Wood 993; Mooi River, Wood 4068 ; Berea, Wood 5934 ; Van Reeneri's Pass, 5000-6000 feet alt,, Wood 7222, 7245 ; and without precise locality, Buchanan 102, 252 ; Plant 62. This grass appears to be found all over South Africa. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 422. ERAGROSTIS BRIZOiDES. PLATE 421 ERAGROSTIS LAFFULA. rea PLATE 423. ERAGROSTIS LAPPULA, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 627), Nat. Order Graminea3. PERENNIAL, densely csospitose. CULMS erect or geniculate, firm, rather stout, 2 to 3 feet long, glabrous, smooth, about 3-noded, upper internodes (sometimes also the lower) exserted ; lower sheaths firm, strongly striate, pubescent or glabrous, usually bearded at the mouth, persistent, upper tight, glabrous, smooth ; lignle a very minutely ciliolate rim ; blades narrow, linear, filiform-convolute, tapering to a fine point, 6 to 12 inches long, Ij line broad when expanded, rigid, flexuous, glabrous or sparsely hairy particulary towards the base, smooth on the back, scaberulous or smooth on the face, strongly striate. PANICLE erect or nodding, narrow, linear to lanceolate, contracted, dense, sometimes spike-like, 6 to 8 inches long; axis filiform, smooth ; branches solitary, sometimes 2 to 3-nate or irregularly approximate, adpressed, lower up to 4 inches long, undivided for 1 to l|r inch or like the others divided from near the base ; branchlets somewhat distant, adpressed, simple or again divided ; lateral pedicels very short; all the divisions finely filiform, angular, smooth or scaberulous. SPIKELETS oblong, 1J to 4 lines long, brownish or purplish, loosely 4 to 17-flowered ; rhachilla persistent. GLUMES subequal, lanceolate, acute, 1 line long, thin, deciduous, keel scabrid. Valves somewhat spreading, stiff', lanceolate in profile, acute, 1 line long or slightly longer, membranous, side-nerves prominent, like the keels rigidly ciliate, with the cilia tubercle-based (or rarely with the keels glabrous). Pales equal to the valves, keels tubercled, long and rigidly ciliate from the tubercles. Anthers over J line long. Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Drcye ; Plant 63 ; Gerrard 33, 475 ; 57 ; Wood 6047 ; IMimann 8630 ; Berea, Wood 5938 ; Zululand, Buchanan 301. Fig 1, Lo-.rer glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. .. /// rnlnryed. PLATE 424. ERAGROSTIS ASPERA, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 628). Nat. Order Graminefe. ANNUAL. CULMS scantily fascicled, erect or suberect, ^ to f foot long (excluding the panicle), gtabrous, smooth, simple, 2 to 3-noded, internodes usually enclosed ; sheaths keeled, glabrous, except at the bearded mouth, or sparingly hairy, hairs fine, tubercle-based; ligule a fringe of long hairs; blades linear, tapering to a long setaceous point, 4 inches to more than 1 foot by 2 to -'3 lines, flat, flaccid, scabrid on both sides, glabrous. PANICLE large, very lax and open, thyrsif'orm, oblong to obovate-oblong, 8 to 20 inches long; axis terete, filiform, smooth below; branches whorled or irregularly approximate, finely filiform to capillary, scabrid, bearded at the callous base. loosely and repeatedly divided from near the base, longest up to 6 inches long ; pedicels very long and fine. SPIKELETS scattered, linear, obtuse, 2^ to 4 lines by f to f line, pallid or tinged with purple, loosely 4 to 16-fiowered ; rhachilla very slender, breaking up. GLUMES subequal, oblong, obtuse, ^ line long, 1 -nerved. Valves obliquely ovate-oblong, truncate, f to f line long, thin, side-nerves prominent, strong. Pales equal to the valves and falling with them, obtuse, keels scabrid. Anthers about ,1 line long. Grain globose, about 5 line diameter, brown, loose in the somewhat turgid florets. Habitat '. NATAL. Near Durban in Coffee Plantations, Dreye ; slopes of Tugela, GOO to 1000 feet alt., Buchanan 257 ; Zululand, Jenkinson 85. Drawn from Buchanan's 257. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and loclicules. All enlur;//'/!. PLATE 424 ERAGRO5TIS AS PER A. PLATE 42' ERAGROSTIS GUMMIFLUA PLATE 425. ERAGROSTIS GUMMIFLUA, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 029). Nat. Order Gramineaj. PERENNIAL, compactly cpespitose. CULMS firm, erect, slender or somewhat stotit, 1 to 2 feet long, glabrous, smooth, usually very viscous below the nodes, 3 to 5-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths tight, striate, glabrous except at the bearded mouth, more or less viscous, lowest persistent ; ligule a dense fringe of minute hairs; blades narrow, linear, tapering to a setaceous point, usually filiform- convolute, 4 to 10 inches long, I to 2 lines wide at the base when expanded, rigid, glabrous, smooth on the back, densely scabrid along the projecting nerves on the upper side. PANICLE linear or narrow-oblong, erect, 6 to 10 inches long ; rhachis angular, smooth ; branches solitary or irregularly approximate and subverticillate, erect or obliquely erect, short or the lower up to 3 inches long, angular, smooth, divided from the base ; branchlets mostly very short, subsecund, with the spikelets in dense clusters ; pedicels very short. SPIKELETS oblong, obtuse, up to 2 lines long, purplish or light brown, rigid, loosely 5 to y -flowered ; rhachilla disarticulating. GLUMES subequal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, about J line long, strongly keeled, keel scaberulous ; valves oblong in profile, obtuse, f line long, rigidly membranous, side nerves very prominent, keel scaberulous above. Pales subequal to the valves, and falling with them, keels scabrid above. Stamens 3; anthers line long; grain oblong-ellipsoid, I to line long, brown, smooth. Habitat: NATAL. Without precise locality, Geirard G80 ; near Dundee, 4000 feet alt,, W. E. Green 95, 96 ( Wood 7451).' Drawn from Green's specimens, the only Natal one in the Herbarium. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules All enlarged. PLATE 426 ERAGROSTIS ATHERSTONEI. PLATE 426. ERAIMMWTIS AriiKiwurNKi, Stapf. (Fl. (tap., Vol. VTL, p. fi07). Nat. Order Graminere. PERENNIAL. CULMS erect, simple or with 1-2 branches from the upper nodes, over 2 feet long, wiry, glabrous, smooth, alxmt 3-noded, lowest lengthened, inter- n'(/, 278. The drawing of this grass was made from a drawing made at the Herbarium of Kew Gardens by Miss M. Smith, by kind permission of the Director, as the plant in our Herbarium was not complete enough for the purpose. Fig 1, A spikelet ; 2, glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pa'e, back view ; 5, pale, lodicules and ovary : (i, stamen ; 7, pistil ; K, unripe caryopsis ; 9, caryopsis. All ruhirt/nl. PLATE 427. ERAGROSTIS PATENTISSIAVA PLATE ERAGROSTI5 CILIAR1S. LISX. PLATE 428. EuAtaiosTis ciLiAKis Link. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. G2'J). Nat. Order Graininetu. ANNUAL OR SUBI-EKENNIAL ('.) tufted. CULMS geuiculate, ascending, often from a procumbent base, slender, | to 2 feet long, glabrous, smooth, simple or branched below, about 3-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths striate, tight, glabrous or scantily hairy, bearded with long hairs at the mouth ; ligule a fringe of short hairs. Blades linear, tapering to a fine point, 3 to G inches by 1 to 2 lines, usually involute, somewhat stiff and spreading, glabrous, or with scattered fine long hairs, scaberulous. PANICLE spike- like, more or less lobed or interrupted, dense to very dense, 2 to G inches long; axis scabrid ; branches adpressed, usually all very short or the lowest up to 1 inch long, divided from the base, pedicels very short. Si'iKELETS crowded, ovate, strongly compressed, 1 to almost 2 lines long, loosely G to 12-flowered, pallid, sometimes purplish ; rhachilla breaking up (li.UMKs oblong-lanceolate, acute, to almost 5- line long, 1 -nerved, keel scabrid. Valves oblong in profile, subtruncate and mucronulate, spreading, about |- line long, thin, side-nerves prominent, keel scabrid. Pales equal to the valves and falling with them, keels of pale very long and rigidly ciliate. Anthers \ to -j line long. Grain elongate-ovoid, ^ line long, brown. Habitat : NATAL. Common near the coast, Uuc/titncin 160 ; margins of woods near the Umlazi River, Krauss 341? ; near Durban, McKen 124 ; Durban Flats, Ji'iclufitf.iit, 38 ; Berea, Wood 5D2G ; between Umzimkulu and Umkomanzi llivers, Di-cye 4270 ; and without precise locality, (j'enard G01 ; Zululand, 2000 feet alt., Jenkinson G7, January. Drawn from Wood's 5D2G, but not more than 2 stamens were found in all the florets examined The keel of the valve is ciliate at base in our specimens. " Common throughout tropical Africa and America, and in North India." Fig 1, Lower glume ; '2, upper glume ; 3, valve : on, valve iu profile ; 4, pule ; 5, pistil, stamen* and lodieules. All cnlurycd. PLATE 429. ERAGROSTIS N AMANUENSIS, Nees, var. robusta, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. Vll., p. G30). Nat. Order Graminere. ANNUAL OR SUBPERENNIAL (?) tufted. CULMS erect, slender, J to 1 foot long, glabrous, smooth, 1-noded, simple, upper internode by far the longest, long exserted ; sheaths striate, glabrous, tight, lowest more or less compressed and keeled. Blades linear, tapering to a fine point, 2 to 4 inches, by 1 to Ij line, flat, flaccid, glabrous, smooth. PANICLE tightly contracted and linear or more or less open and oblong, 4 to G inches long, erect ; axis smooth, terete ; branches solitary or 2-3-riate or irregularly approximate, erect or obliquely spreading, rather loosely and repeatedly divided from near the base, all divisions suljcapillary, glabrous, smooth or almost so ; lateral pedicels usually very short. SPIKELETS crowded or more or less scattered, elliptic, obtuse, 1 line long, about 5 or G-ttowered, light purplish or brownish ; rhachilla disarticulating. GLUMES subequal, broad, oblong, obtuse, emarginate, } line long, hyaline, 1-nerved, persistent/ Valves oblong in profile, obtuse, line long, hyaline, side- nerves prominent, smooth, like the keel. Pales subequal to the valves, keels smooth, falling with the valves. Stamens 2 ; anthers almost } line long. Grain oblong, ^ line by ^ line, brown, smooth. VAR. ROBUSTA (Stapf). Culms stout, up to 3 feet high, 3-noded. simple or branched below ; sheaths long, exceeding the internodes (except the uppermost) usually slipping from the stem and rolling inwards in the upper part. Panicle | to 1 foot long, usually contracted, dense ; branches more numerous, often very long ; anthers Jr line long or almost so. Habitat : NATAL. Var. robusta, by streamlets at 1000 feet alt., without prtvisr locality, Btochonan 27G. Drawn from Buchanan's specimen, the only one in the Herbarium. In our specimen the valves are emarginate like the glumes. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume; 3, valve ; o;i, siunc iu profile 1 . ; 4, pale : , pistil, stamens and lodicules. All c/tluiycil. PLATE 429. ERAGROST1S NAAVAQUENSIS. CYNODON DACTYLON. CYXODON, I'ui's. SPIKKLKTS I-Howcred, small, laterally compressed, sessile, imbricate, alternately -senate and unilateral on u slender keeled rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulatin- above the guinea, produced, or not, beyond the valve. Floret hermaphrodite. GI.I-MKS narrow, keeled, or subulate-mucronate, the upper usually deciduous with I he valve, the lower subpersistent, Valve exceeding the glumes, uavkular, tirmlv membranous, 3-nerved, awnlews, keel ciliate. Pale somewhat shorter than the valve. J-keeled. Lodicules 2, minute, obovate-cuneate, glabrous. Stamens 3. Ovarv glabrous ; styles distinct, slightly shorter than the plumose stigmas. Grain oblong. Bubterete : embryo about J the length of the grain : liilnm linear, f the length of the grain. PUUENNIAL ; stems creeping, rooting at the nodes and emitting from them fascicles of barren shoots and flowering culms : spikes > to (> in terminal umbels. Species ->, \ in extra-tropical South Africa, the other almost cosmopolitan. PLATE 430. t'vxonox I)ACTYI,OX, Pern. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. (534). t Xat. Order Graminete. Ci i, MS from a few inches to 1 foot long, slender, glabrous, smooth, many-noded, I lie lowr internodes very short, enclosed, the upper o-4 much longer, more or less exserted. LEAVES usually conspicuously distichous in the barren shoots and at the base of the culms ; sheaths tight, glabrous or hairy, often bearded at the mouth ; ligule a very tine ciliate rim ; blades linear, finely acute to pungent, J to G inches, bv 1 to 1J line, very rigid to flaccid, folded or convolute or flat, more or less glaucous, glabrous or hairy, smooth below, scabcrulous above. Spikes ~2 to (J, straight. to '2^ inches long : rhachis pubescent at the base, keel and margins scabrid or the keel smooth. SI-IKKI.KTS light green or purplish, ^ to 1^ line long : rhachilla produced, vcrv slender, equalling J the length of the spikelet. < MM KS lanceolate, acute to subulate-mucronate, the lower \ to f line long, the />/>er usually slightly longer, keels scabrid or smooth. Valve obliquely oblong to semi- ovate, subobtuse or minutely apiculate, about 1 line long, keel ciliate ; keels of pale scaberulous. Anthers oblong. ^ line lon. Grain ^ line lon. Habitat: XATAI.. Durban Flats, /htc/miinn. \~2 : o4 : Berea Wood. :!).">(). and without pnrise locality, Bm-ltaiMit, '2(W ; Dundee, 40UO-")0((0 ft. alt. ; (r'rccn 71. An almost cosmopolitan grass. In India it is known as " Dub" or " Doub," in other places as " Bermuda " grass, or " Devil's " grass. In the Southern States of America it is higlilv valued as a pasture or fodder grass, but should only be planted where it is to remain permanently, as its creeping roots make it very difficult to eradicate when it has once got a firm footing. In India it is considered to be one of the l>est of grasses, it endures drought, but will not stand much frost. In the coast districts of Xatal it remains green during the winter, but will not be likely to do so in the uplands. Fig 1, Portion of shcatli and blade showing li-i'iilu : '2, spikelft ; 3, lower glume ; 4, ujincr gluiiiu ; 5, valve ; (5, palu ; 7, pistil stamens and lodiculcs. All enlarged, MlCBOCHLOA R. Br. SPIKELETS 1-2-flowered, small, sessile, crowded, unilateral on a flattened rhacliis. Alternating 2 -seriate from near the margins of the rhaehis, or in a single row ; rhachilla disarticulating above the gl nines, more or less produced. Floret herma- phrodite, or if 2, the lower hermaphrodite, the iipper male or indicated by an empty valve. GLUMES 2, persistent or (particularly the upper) deciduous, strongly 1 -nerved, flattened from the back or keeled, subequal. Valve shorter than the glumes, delicate, white, minutelv or obscurely mucronulate or emarginate, 3-nerved, densely hairy along the nerves (if 2, the upper glabrous) ; callus small, acute hairy. Pale slightly shorter than the valve or almost equal, 2 -'keeled. Lodicules 2, cuneate, glabrous, thin, faintly nerved. Stamens 3, ovary glabrous (quite suppressed in the upper floret) : styles distinct; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. (iraiu oblong, terete, triquetrous or compressed, embraced by the unchanged valve and pale, free ; hilum punctiform ; embryo equalling J-J the length of the grain. PEKEXXIAL, rarely annual, sometimes densely tufted ; leaves narrow, often subsetaceous ; ligule reduced to a minutely ciliolate rim ; spikes solitary, terminal (in the African species) or 2-4 in a terminal umbel, straight or curved. Species 7, widely distributed through the tropics, 3 in Africa, 3 in Australia. PLATE 431. MJCUOCIILOA CAFFUA, Xees. (FJ. Cap., Vol. VII... p. (!3(i). Xat. Order Gratnineaj. PEHEXXIAL, compactly ca'spitose. CULMS erector geniculate-erect, very slender, simple, -| to 1 foot long, compressed below, 1 to 2-noded, glabrous, smooth, internodes exserted, the uppermost by far the longest. LEAVES crowded at the base ; sheaths tight or the uppermost subtumid, glabrous or ciliate at the mouth, smooth, the lowest persistent, breaking up into fibres ; blades subsetaceous, with an acute or callous ]x>int, J to (J inches long, folded, firm, often curved, glabrous or scantily hairy near the base, smooth, margins rough. Spike solitary, 2 to 3j inches long, usually curved, often purple, margins of the rhaehis ciliolate. SPIKELETS 1 -flowered, divergent and biseriate or imbricate and more or less uniseriate, slightly dorsally compressed, 1| to ~2\ lines long, glabrous. GLUMES lanceolate-oblong, acute or the upper acuminate, the lower asymmetric, slightly longer. Valve minutely cuspidate, U, line long, densely hairv along the nerves except at the very tip ; keels of pale scabrid, ciliolate above the middle. Anthers not quite 1 line long. (Train terete, over ^ line long. Habitat : NATAL. Riet Vlei, 4000-, r >000 feet alt., Buchanan KJ2 ; South Downs, \Veeneu County, 4000 feet alt,, Wood 4403 ; Benvie, 3000-4000 feet alt., Wood (J007 ; Pietermaritxburg, Wood 7220. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale : 5, pistil, stamens and lodiruk's. All cnlurt/cd. PLATE 431. AICROCHLOA. CAFFRA. * PLATE AUCKOCHLOA ALTER/* ttapf. PLATE 432. MrcnooHLOA ALTEHA, Stapf, var. Nelscmii, Stapf. (Fl. Oap., Vol. VTT. p. 637). Nat. Order Graminefe. PERENNIAL, densely crespitose. CULMS erect, very slender, simple, 8 to 10 inches long, compressed below, 2-noded, glabrous or woolly, upper 2 internodes vrrv long, exstrted. LEAVES mainly crowded at the base ; sheaths tight or scantily woolly, the basal compressed, keeled, very narrow, persistent, at length breaking up into fibres ; blades setaceous, folded, acute, scarcely distinct from the sheaths, :5 to G inches long, glabrous, smooth. Spike solitary, | to 1 inch long, usually straight ; rhachis glabrous. SPIKELETS 2-flowered, dorsal ly and obliquely compressed, uniseriate or biseriate, -} lines long, glabrous, brown. GLUMES lanceolate-oblong, obtuse, the lower slightly longer and asymmetric, the upper firmer. Floi'ets, lower hermaphrodite ; valve minutely bilobed, l line long, ciliate along the nerves; pale glabrous, keels very finely scabrid above; ii/i/x'i' Horet barren, slightly smaller ; valve and pale glabrous, more delicate, the latter often reduced or quite suppressed. Grain 1 line long. Habitat: NATAL. ?iet Vlei, 4000-5000 feet alt., Rm-lnman Ifi3; Zululand, 2000 to MOOO feet alt,, Wood 7^04 (Jod-iiium 44). Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve of lower floret ; 4, pale of same ; o, valve of upper floret ; f>, pale of same ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. CTENIUM, Pan/. SPIKELETS of 3 to 4 florets, sessile, compactly crowded, unilateral, alternately biseriate along the midrib of the flattened rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes, continuous l>et\veen the valves, the lower 2 florets barren or the second male, the third hermaphrodite, the fourth male or barren or quite rudimentary. GLUMES unequal, the lower persistent, keeled, thin, 1 -nerved, the ii/t/x-r much longer, oblong to lanceolate, flattened or rounded on the back, firm, 2-3-nerved, with a stitt' awn from the middle. Valves oblong in profile, obtuse, 3-nerved, awned just below the tips, ciliate along the nerves or the uppermost glabrous, white, thin. Pales slightly shorter, 2-keeled or 2-nerved. Lodicules 2, quadrate- cuneate, delicate, faintly nerved. Stamens 3 in the hermaphrodite, 2 in the male florets. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct, stigmas slender, long, laterally exserted. Grain free, embraced by the unchanged valve and pale, oblong ; embryo up to i the length of the grain ; hilum basal, punctiform. PERENNIAL, densely tufted, rarely annual ; leaves narrow, flat or convolute: spikes terminal, solitary or in umbels of 2-3, usually curved ; spikelets prettily pectinate and awned. Species alxnit 9, in Africa and America. PLATE 433. CTENIUM OONT-INNUM, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. YIT., p. 03K). Nat. Order Graminea?. PERENNIAL, densely tufted. CULMS erect, l to 2 feet long, villous or pubescent below the spike, 2-noded, upper 2 internodes very long, at length inure or less exserted. LEAVES mostly crowded at the base ; sheaths tight or the upper subtumid, striate, glabrous, smooth, the basal ones compressed, persistent ; ligule extremely short, minutely ciliolate ; b'ades narrow, linear, acute, the basal up to 1 foot by ^ to 1 line, flat or setaceously convolute, smooth below, scaberulous above and along the. margins. Spikes solitary, rarely paired, olive-grey, 3 to 10 inches, by 2 to 2 lines. SPIKELETS 3 to 3 lines. GLUMES, lower ovate, acuminate, about 1 J line long, keel coarsely scabrid ; upper, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, 3 to 3^ lines long, scabrid to hispiduloua, tubercled on the nerves, 2-nerved, middle nerve emitting an obliquely erect awn, not produced beyond it or faintly so or pel-current and even excurrent, side-m j rve percurrent or excurrent, awn scarcely exceeding the glume. Valves, lowest barren, more or less cuspidate or apiculate, ciliate, \\ line long, awn 2 to 4 lines long ; second valve slightly longer, narrower, the cilia prolonged into a beard above the middle with a rudimentary pale and 2 perfect or imperfect stamens, awn 3 t<> -'U lines long, third valve like the second, but more delicate, shorter awned, with a 2-keeled glabrous pale, and a hermaphrodite flower ; fourth valve glabrous, delicate, l line long, with a broad 2-nerved delicate pale and 2 stamens ; lodicules up t<> \ line long. Anthers of the hermaphrodite flower \\ line long, those of the male usually snorter ; anther cells acute ; styles very short ; stigmas 1^ line long. Habitat : NATAL. Umpumulo, 2000 feet alt,, Buchanan 179 ; Pearson's Falls. Mny, /'. Laulli. Kifr 1, A spikelet ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, 1st valve : .">, 2i'.d valve : f>, pale, lodicules and stamens from 2nd valve ; 7, 3rd valve ; S, pale ; it. pistil, stamens ;nnl lodicules; 1(1, 4th valve : 11,pnle; 12, male flower. A/I m/nrt/i-il. PLATE 433. CTENIUtt CONCINNUtt. ma PLATE 434 HARFECHLOA C A FEN 5 IS. xusra. HAHPECHLOA, Kunth. SPIKKLETB of 3-4 florets sessile, crowded, unilateral, alternately biscriate alono- the midrib of H flattened rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulating above the 'glumes, contiguous between the valves, the lower floret hermaphrodite, the following 1 or 2 male the uppermost barren, rudimentary. ES unequal, the lower persistent, keeled, very thin 1 -nerved, the upper much longer, oblong, flattened on the back, 2 to 3-nerved, firm. Hermaphrodite floret alx)ut equalling the upper glunic. Valve folded, obliquely oblong in profile, obtuse, white, thin, 3-nerved, densely ciliate along the nerves ; callus obscure ; pale lightly shorter, 2-keeled ; lodicules cuneate, fleshy, almost 3-winged ; stamens 3 ; ovary glabrous ; styles distinct ; stigmas slender, plumose, laterally exscrted. Upper florets crowded in a club-shaped body, not exceeding the hermaphrodite floret, enveloped by the valve of the lower male floret ; valves 2-nerved or with a trace of the middle nerve near the apex, ciliolate or glabrous ; pales 2-ncrved ; stamens 3 or ; ovary usually quite suppressed. Grain free, embraced by the unchanged valve and pale, oblong, obtusely triquetrous ; embrvo i the length of the grain ; hilum nuncti- < 1 * v w m O O Eprm, basal. PERENNIAL, densely ca-spitosc ; leaves firm, folded or convolute alxwc, more or less ciirve : Uiet Vlei, 4()00-.')00() feet alt.. Buchanan 17S ; Mooi Kiver. 4000 feet alt., Wood 7317 : and without precise locality, Buchanan o7 ; 93. Fig 1, A spikelct ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, valve ; ,">, pale : 6, pistil, stamens and lorli'mles ; 7, second valve : 8, pnle ; 9, stamens : 10, third valve ; 11, pale. AB ntargfd, CHLORIS, Swartz. SPIKELETS of 2-4 florets, sessile, crowded, unilateral, 2-seriate on a slender rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes, tough between the valves, more or less produced ; lowest floret hermaphrodite, the second male or barren, the following, if present, barren, often minute. GLUMES 2, persistent, narrow, keeled, acute and rnucronate, very thin, or broad, and the upper obtuse, more or less bilobed and rounded on the hack. Hermaphrodite floret ; valve narrow or broad, 3-nerved, acute or obtuse, niinutelv 2-toothed, usually awned from below the apex, often ciliate ; pale almost equalling the valve, 2-keeled ; lodicules 2, minute, delicate, glabrous ; stamens 3 ; ovarv glabrous, styles distinct, short ; stigmas laterally exserted. Male floret : valve and pale as in the hermaphrodite flower, but smaller and glabrous. Rudimentary florets glabrous, awned or awnless, small to very small, usually without a trace <>(' a pale. Grain oblong, triquetrous; embryo rather large ; hilum punctiform, basal. PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL ; leaves flat or folded ; spikes solitary or several to many in terminal umbels or short racemes, erect or stellately spreading. Species 40-45 in the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. PLATE 435. CHLORTS PYONOTHRTX, Trin. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VTL, p. 04 1). Nat. Order Graminere. PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL (flowering the first year?) \ to 1 foot high. Stems prostrate, emitting tufts of barren shoots and culms from the rooting nodes. CULMS geniciilately ascending, 2-3-noded, more or less sulcate below, glabrous, upper internodes exserted. LEAVES conspicuously distichous ; basal sheaths much compressed, keeled, short, uppermost usually subtumid, all glabrous, smooth ; ligules membranous, up to \ line long, ciliolate ; blades linear, obtuse, \\ to 2 inches by \\ to 2 lines, rarely longer, flat, glaucous, glabrous, smooth or scaberulous above, margins rough. Spikes 3 to 9, sessile or some shortly peduncled, umbelled or subumbelled, sulierect, at length usually spreading, pallid or purplish. Ij to 3 inches long ; rhachis scabrid, SPIKELETS 2-awned, ^- line long; rhachilla joints between the valves I! the length of the lower valve, fine, rhachilla not produced. GLUMES very narrow, lanceolate, acuminate, the lower \ to f line long, the itjiper I to Ij line, keels very scabrid. Lower valve linear-oblong in profile, acute, minutely 2-toothed, 1^ line long, glabrous, keel and tip scaberulous ; callus minutely bearded, awn very fine, 6 to 8 lines long ; pale glabrous, keels scabrid ; anthers | line long ; grain linear-oblong, line long ; upper valve rudimentary, empty, ^- line long, awn 2 to 3 lines long. Habitat: NATAL. Umpumulo, 1800 feet alt,, Buchanan. 185; Tnanda, isoo feet alt., Wood 1590. Also in tropical Africa, and Eastern Brazil and Paraguay. Drawn from Buchanan's 1 85. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; ,), pistil, stamens and lodicules ; 6, upper valve. All enlarged. CHLORIS PYCNOTHRIX CHLORIS VIRGATA. PLATE 436. ('ULUKJS V1HGATA, Swart/. (R Cap., Vol. VI 1., ,,. (j.H). Xat. Order (iraminea\ PEHKXXIAL <>u AXNTAI. (flowering the first year ?), 1 to 3 feet high. CULMS erect or geniculately -ascending or prostrate below, rooting and emitting fascicles of barren shoots from the nodes, 3 to o-uoded, more or less compressed below, glabrous, smooth, internodes exserted : shcuths glabrous, rarely sparingly hairv, smooth, the lower much coni|)ressed, keeled ; ligules membranous, very short, very minutely ciliolate : blades linear, gradually tapering to an acute point, 1 to 4 inches by 1 to 1| line, Hat or folded, sometimes flaccid, glaucous, glabrous, rarely sparingly hairy, smooth below, scaberulous above, margins rough. Spikes (5 to 15 or more, suberect. sessile, whitish -green or purplish, 1 to ~2% inches long, straight ; rhaehis pubescent or villous at the base, scabrid. SIMKKLKTS '2- (rarely sub-3) flowered, Pawned, almost '2 lines long ; rhaehilla joint between the valves rather long, terminal joint verv minute. narrow, lanceolate, hyaline, nmcronate, keels scabrid, the lower \ to 1{ line long, the upper almost 2 lines ; lower valve obliquely oblong, acute or obscurely 2-toothed, \\ line long, whitish or almost black when mature, ciliate along the marginal nerves and bearded below the tip, finely grooved on the faces, keel glabrous or minutely ciliate below the middle ; awn o to X lines long, straight : pale glabrous ; anthers ^ to \ line long ; grain linear-oblong, obtuselv triquetrous, f line long ; upper valve (or valves) quite emptv, obliquely cuneate in profile, 1 line or less long, awn from below the tip, 3 to (i lines long. Vnr. Elcyans (Stapf). Spikes up to 3 inches long. Spikelets usually sub-3- flowered : lower valve conspicuously gibbous, 1 line long, more deeply grooved on the faces, keel glabrous or ciliate to, and bearded at the middle. Habitat: XATAL. Herea. Wood o!)4S ; river banks at Tugela, GOO to 1000 Feet alt.. Buchanan lS(i ; Van Keeneifs Pass, ,~>">00 feet alt,, Wood ">!)S)0 : Xululand, I'OOO feet alt,, Jenkiiison ^'2 : rar. eleyaitx, Inanda, 1SOO feet alt., \Vood (W7. Widely spread through the tropics of both hemispheres. Mr. Jenkinson says of this grass: u Found chiefly in old cultivated ground, dries up altogether in winter. It is said to be a good fodder grass, and to be much .relished bv stock." Dr. Andrew Smith says that the natives boil the roots to make a bath for cold and also for rheumatism. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve in profile ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and loilicules ; 6, second valve. All eularyed. PLATE 437. ClILOlUS GAYAXA, Klllltll. (Fl. Clip., Vol. VII., |). ()4) Xat. Order Graminete. PKKKXMAL on ANMAI,, i to 4 feet high. CULMS erect or geniculately-ascending, or prostrate at the base, simple or branched, often emitting fascicles of barren shoots or short runners from the lowest nodes, often robust, 3 to 9-noded, compressed below, glabrous, smooth, upper internodes usually exserted ; sheaths glabrous or sparingly hairy near the mouth, smooth, the lower strongly compressed, keeled, keels sometimes scabrid, the uppermost sometimes tumid ; ligules membranous, very short, long-hairy : blades linear, long-tapering to a fine point, to more rh;m 1 foot by o to 4 lines when expanded, flat or folded, glabrous or hirsute near the base, green, smooth below, rough above and on the margins. Spikes (i to 1"). umbelled. sessile, suberect, rarely spreading, '2% to 4 inches long, greenish or brownish ; rhachis scabrid. SriKKLKTs l line long, 3-4-Howered, shortly i-a\vned. Ks very unequal, the lower ovate-lanceolate, acute, subhvaline, J to - { line long, the upper oblong, obtuse, mueronate, 1 to Inline long, h'rmer. scaberulous : lowest valve oblong, subobtuse or acute, minutely 2-toothed, ciliolate along the marginal nerves and shortly bearded below the tips or only finely bearded (in the South African species), or almost glabrous, with a f sometimes minutely hairy) groove on each face : awn as long or slightlv longer than the valve, straight : callus minutely bearded : pile glabrous, keels scabrid : anthers | line long, second valve, with a male flower, like the preceding, but glabrous, 1 line long, awn 1 line long or less : third (and fourth) valve rudimentary, cuneate in profile, empty, awnless. : XATAI,. I'mlax/i Kiver, Dmjc ; Uwadu&HSi, Sutlierland ; near Durban, Williamson 43 ; tlmpumulo, Buchanan 1SS. Also in tropical Africa. Drawn from Buchanan's 1SS. Fig 1, Lower glume ; '2, upper ^liiuie ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, sttuneus and lodicules 6, second valve ; 7, rudimentary valve. All enlarged* II fit wi, / ME/ PLATE 437. CHLORIS GAYANA. PLATE 438. CHLORiS PETR/EA. man PLATE 438. C'llLOKIS 1'KTK.KA, Thuilb. (H. Cil])., Vol. VII., ]). (>4o). Xat. Order (raminea, 1 . PERENNIAL, densely tufted. CU,MS erect, or suberect, 1 to '2 feet long, 2-noded, compressed below, glabrous, smooth, internodes long-exserted. LKAVKS crowded at the base in a fan-like manner : sheaths strongly compressed, keeled, glabrous, smooth, except on the scabrid keels ; ligule a ciliate rim ; blades lineal-, acute or subobtuse, '2 to 4. Drawn from Wood's 7234. Fig 1, Spikelel : 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume; 4, valve : .">, pale : 6, pistil, stamens and lodicules : 7, 2nd valve ; 8, pale ; 9, male floret. All cnluryed. ELEUSIXE, Ga>rtn. SMKELKTS 8-6-flowered, laterally compressed, densely imbricate, alternately biseriate, unilateral, sessile on a flattened rhachis, the uppermost terminal, perfect : rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between die valves, or tough, produced sometimes terminating with a rudimentary valve. Florets perfect. GLUMES 2, subequal, persistent, obtuse or obscurely mucronate, membranous, strongly keeled, 3 to 5-nerved, the lateral nerves close to the keel, the lower shorter. with the keel crested. A'alves very similar, 3-nerved near the base ; lateral nerves submarginal above, with 1-2 short additional nerves close to the keel. Pales slightly shorter than the valves, 2-keeled, keels winged. Lodicules 2, minute, cuneate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles slender from a broadened base, distinct : stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. (irain broadly-oblong to globose, broadly grooved ; pericarp loose, delicate, breaking up irregularly or almost circumscissile ; seed finely striate ; embryo suborbicular, basal ; hilum punctiform, basal. ANNUAL on PERENNIAL ; leaves long, Hat, or folded, flaccid or firm ; spikes in interrupted spikes or the upper or all in a terminal umbel, straight, suberect, spreading or deflexed : spikelets glabrous. Species (!, in tropical Africa and Asia ; 1 widely spread through the tropics, PLATE 439. KLKI/SINE IXDICA. (ia>rtn. (Fl. Cap.. Vol. VII.. p. (M.">). Xat. Order (iraminea'. AXXTAL. CI:LMS erect or geniculate-erect, from a few inches to '1 feel long, slender or stout, compressed, 2-3-noded, glabrous, smooth. u]>per internodes exserted. LEAVES often numerous, crowded near the base and conspicuously distichous ; sheaths compressed, pallid, glabrous except at the often ciliate margins, striate ; ligules thin, membranous, short, long-fimbriate : blades linear, long, tapering to an acute point \ to more than 1 foot by 1|- to 3 lines, flat or folded, sometimes flaccid, glabrous, rarely sparingly hairy below, smooth. S])ikes rather slender, straight. 1 to 7 inches long, sessile. '2 to 14 in a terminal umbel, usually with 1-2 (rarely to 7) additional spikes | to o inches below it ; rhachis pubescent to villous at the base, otherwise glabrous, smooth. SPIKKLETS 1 to 2 lines long, 3 to (i-Howered. disarticulating above the glumes and very tardily or tough between the valves. (ILU.MES and valves ovate (lanceolate-oblong in profile) acute, the latter about '2 lines long. Anthers line long. ( < rain oblong : seed heart-shaped in cross section, .', line long, dark reddish brown, obliquely striate : embryo small. Habitat: NATAL. Durban Flat, fi'ickaiiait 14 : 33: Berea, Wuud .V.I'.Mi : from the coast to Umpumulo in neglected gardens. ]lxclin4n). Nat. Order Gram mere. ANNUAL, 1-1 J foot high ; stems sometimes prostrate, rooting from the prolifer- ously branched nodes. CULMS geniculately ascending, compressed, 2-3-noded, glabrous, sni(X)th, inter- nodes exserted ; sheaths striate, the lower whitish, keeled above, glabrous, or scantilv hispid ; ligules membranous, very short, scantily ciliolate ; blades linear, tapering to a fine ]K)int, 1 to 5 inches by 1 to '2 lines, flat, subflaecid, glaucous, glabrous or hispid or hisj)idly ciliate. hairs tubercle-based. Spikes 2 to (i, rarely solifarv, J to "1 inches long, light or dark olive-grey ; rhachis keeled, scabrid. SPIKKLKTS 3 to 5-flowered, s])rea, pnle ; f>, pistil, stamens and -lodionles ; 7, portion of leaf, highly magnitied, showing tubercle-based linirs. All enlarged. PLAT!;: 441. DACTYLOCTENIU/A /EGYFTIACU/A. LEPTOCARYDION VULPlASTRU/^. LEITOCARYDION, Hochst. ex Benth SPIKELETS 4 to 8-flowered, laterally compressed, sessile or subsessile, secund bisenate, close, on a very slender rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves. Florets bisexual, the uppermost reduced. GLUMES subequal, lanceolate, acuminate, 1 -nerved, keeled. Valves oblong, truncate, minutely 4-toothed (teeth hyaline), thin, 3-nerved, margins innexedi nerves cihate, the middle nerve excurrent into a fine bristle, the side-nerves not excurrent; callus slender, acute bearded. Pales linear-oblong, slightly shorter than the valves, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, cuneate, delicate Stamens 3 "; anthers minute. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct, slender ; stigmas laterally exserted, very slender, plumose. Grain linear, obtusely triquetrous, tightly embraced by the scarcely changed valve and pale, free ; embryo less than J the "length of the grain ; hilum basal, punctiform. Species 3, in Africa. Allied to Triraphis, but differing in the non-excurrent side-nerves and the sessile unilateral spiktlets. ANNUAL CULMS tufted, many-noded ; blades linear to oblong-lanceolate, ligule hyaline, very short or obscure. Panicle spike-like, dense; branches erect, simple or with adpressed branchlets. PLATE 442. LEI>TUCARYDION VULPIASTRUM, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. Vll., p. G48). Nat. Order Gramineai. CULMS erect or ascending, 2 to 4 feet long, simple or sometimes branched (branches iritra vaginal), many-noded, internodes shortly exserted, glabrous, smooth ; sheaths tight, glabrous, smooth or somewhat rough, striate ; ligule up to line long, truncate, ciliolate, soon evanescent ; blades lanceolate-oblong from a rounded abruptly constricted base, acute, 1 to 3 inches, by 3 to 6 lines, flat or involute, smooth or finely scaberulous below, glaucescent, finely many-nerved, primary nerves about 7 on each side. PANICLE spike-like, 2 to 8 inches by ^ to f inch, pallid or faintly purplish, very dense ; branches up to 1 inch long, branched from the villous base ; branchlets 5 to 1-spiculate, up to 3 lines long. SPIKELETS crowded, adpressed, 5 to ( J-Howered, up to 3 lines long ; rhachilla very slender. GLUMES reddish, subhyaline, the loircr lanceolate, acuminate, mucronate, about 1} line long; the -upper linear-oblong, about If line long. Valves \\ line long, pubescent below the middle, long and finely ciliate along the side-nerves. Anthers \ line long, ovate ; grain linear, obtusely triquetrous, less than J line by less than g line. Also in tropical East Africa as far north as Usambara. Habitat : NATAL. Banks of Tugela and its tributaries, GOO to 1000 feet alt., 187. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens ami loclicules. All enlarged. CROSSOTBOPIS, Stapf. SPIKELKTK laterally compressed, subsessile, more or less distinctly ^-ranked on the rigid simple brunches of a panicle : rhachilla slender, disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves. Florets. 3 to !), perfect or the uppermost more or less reduced, equalling the "lames or slightly exserted, or overtopped by the awn-like tips of the glumes. (iLUMKS subequal or equal, narrow,' membranous, strongly 1 -nerved, keeled. persistent. Valves somewhat distant, linear-oblong in profile, shortly 2-lobed, mucro- uate or shortly awned from the sinus, membranous. 3-nerved, side-nerves sub-marginal. subpercurrent, rigidly ciliate, margins inflexed ; callus small, hairy. Pales narrow, J-keeled. slightly shorter than the valves. Lodicules ~2, cuneate, small. Stamens 3. ( )vary glabrous. Styles distinct, very slender : stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. ( i mi n oblong, strongly compressed from the back, concave or flat, enclosed by the slightly altered valve and pile ; embryo about | the length of the grain : liilum basal. punctiform. ANNUM, OK PKKKXXIAL; blades usually Hat : ligules hyaline: panicle contracted and narrow, or open with the branches spreading at right angl 's : spikelets rather close to very distant, the uppermost terminal. Species 3, in Africa and Arabia. PLATE 443. CKOSSOTKOPIS GRANDUJLUMIS, Rendle. (Fl. (Jap., Vol. VII., p. (i4 ( J\ Nat. Order Gramineoj. PEKKXXIAL. CTLMS tufted, erect or geniculate. ^ to I foot long, glabrous, smooth, terete or slightly compressed, 2-3-noded. upier inteniodes finally exserted. LKAVKS crowded mar the base ; sheaths glabrous, or very rarely with scattered h'ne long spreading hairs, rather firm, striate. the iijijtcr scabrid. the lower smooth : ligules truncate. up to f line long ; blades linear, shortly tapering to an acute (often siibpungent) point, 1 to '2% inches, by 1 to '2^ lines. Hat or subulately convolute. glabrous, scabrid all over. PANICLE 4 to (5 inches, bv 4 to ! lines when ripe, straight : rhachis angular, scabrid or hispidulous : branches simple, singly or *2-3 close together, straight. "2 to "> inches long, at first erect, at length spreading at right angles, hispidulous. villoiis at the base. SIMKKLKTS 3 to ")-Howercd, distant bv more than their own length, ail pressed, shortlv pedicelled, 3i to "> lines long : rhachilla minutely pilose. GLUM KB lanceolate, subulate-acuminate, scaberulous, 3J to a lines long. \alves oblong, shortlv bilobed. mucronate, up to '2 lines long, side-nerves rigidly ciliate. Pales truncate, finely pul>escent on the back, keels scabrid. Anthers up to | line long. ( J rain narrowly oblong, flat, over 1 line long. Habitat: NATAL. Sandy valley near Tngcla, I OIK) feet alt., linclianoti ">"!> This n'rass \\\v< formerly known as Liixiocliluii . and is a very poor one. but the Director of the Koyal (iardens and H( rl iinum at Ki'W very kindly lent us a better one of Buchanan's same gathering for the purpose of completing the drawing. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume : 3, vulve : 4, pale ; '>, pistil, stamens and lodk-ules. All enlarged. PLATE 443 CRO55OTROPIS GRANDIGLUWIS POTAAOPHILA FREHENS1L1S. POTAMOPRTLA, R. Br. SPIKELETS laterally slightly compressed, on short or rather long pedicels panicled ; rhachilla jointed above the rudimentary basal glumes. Florets 3 ; lower 2 reduced to minute empty valves, uppermost hermaphrodite or unisexual with the organs of the other sex reduced. _ GLUMES reduced to very minute rounded or truncate scales, or to an obscure, entire or bilobed^ hyaline rim. Empty valves very small, hyaline, nerveless, subulate or elliptic and rounded or lo'bed ; fertile valve membranous, 5-nervedi awnless, nerves raised, sometimes slightly winged. Pale 3-nerved ; ' otherwise similar to the fertile valve. Lodicules 2, finely nerved. Stamens 6. Styles distinct ; stigmas feathery. Grain obovate, compressed, crowned by the thickened buses of the styles, enclosed by the unaltered glume and pale, free. Rather tall aquatic grasses, blades flat ; ligules membranous ; panicle eft'use or contracted. Species 3, 1 in South Africa, 1 in Madagascar, and I in New South Wales. PLATE 44:4, POTAMOPHILA PREHENSILTS, Bentll. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. f>59). Nat. Order Gramiuene. STEMS several feet high, branched, mainy-noded, slightly compressed or terete, glabrous, smooth ; internodes up to 4 inches long ; branches spreading at a right angle or almost so ; leaf-sheaths rather tight, shorter than or as long as the inter- nodes, slightly compressed and more or less keeled, strongly striate, scabrid in the uppermost part of the keel, hairy near the mouth or glabrous, except the sometimes minutely villous nodes ; ligule membranous, oblong or truncate, to 1 line long, pubescent ; blades linear-lanceolate from a very short contracted base, acute, 3 to 5 inches by 3 to 6 lines, flat, flaccid, glaucous, sparingly hairy and minutely scabrid on both sides, margins and midrib very rough from minute reversed spines ; primary nerves 3 to 4 on each side. PANICLE terminal, 4 to f> inches long, open, very lax, rigid ; branches spreading, fine, up to 4 inches long, the lowest usually paired, sparingly branched, compressed and angular, scaberulous or smooth below, branchlets 2-3-spiculate ; pedicels 1 to ~ lines long. SIMKELETS lanceolate-oblong, acute, 3 to 4 lines long, slightly twisted, pallid. GLUMES extremely minute truncate hyaline scales. Valves, empty one subulate, J to f line long, nerveless ; fertile valve tightly clasping the similar pale with the inflexed margins, nsrves raised, slightly winged, scaberulous. Lodicules ovate ; anthers 3 lines long ; styles J line long ; stigma exserted near the base of the valve, 1 to 1 J line long. Grain unknown. Habitat : NATAL. Near the mouth of the Qm/imkulu River, in copses and woods, D)-<>(/(>; Umbilo waterfall, licit maun 8150; Umpumulo. to 2000 feet, common in bush, lixclianan 288 ; Inanda, Wood 1305. Drawn from Buchanan's 288. Fig 1, A glume; 2 and 3, empty valves; 4, fertile valve; 5, pale; 6, pistil, stamens and lodioules. All rnlnryrd. LEKRSIA, Sw. SPIKELETS laterally compressed, very shortly pedicelled, panicled ; rhachilla jointed above the rudimentary glumes. Floret 1, hermaphrodite. GLUMES reduced to an obscure hyaline entire or 2-lobed rim. Valve 5-nerved, subcartilaginous, awnless, keels and margins rigidly ciliate. Pale narrow, 3-nerved, subcartilaginous except at the hyaline margins, grooved along the outer nerves and tightly clasped by the inflexed margins of the valve, keel rigidly ciliate. Lodicules 2, fleshy, finely nerved, Stamens 6, 3 or 1. Styles distinct ; stigmas feathery. Grain ovate or oblong, compressed, embraced by the valve and the pale. free ; embryo short. PERENNIAL ; leaves narrow ; panicle usually flaccid with very slender branches. Species o-7, mostly in the tropics and the subtropical regions of both hemi- spheres. PLATE 445. LEERSIA HEXANDRA Sw. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. p. 659). Nat. Order Grammese. PERENNIAL, rhizome creeping, stoloniferous ; innovation buds ovoid, subacute, scales smooth, striate. Stems erect from a prostrate or ascending base, rooting from the lower nodes, 2 to 4 feet high, simple or very sparingly branched, usually slender and weak, many-noded, smooth, firmly striate ; uppermost internode longest (up to J foot, rarely to 1 foot long) ; sheaths rather tight or the lower loose and ultimately spreading, terete, usually shorter than the internodes, the uppermost longest, reaching to or almost to the panicle, glabrous, slightly scahrid or smooth, except the villous nodes ; ligule short, obliquely truncate or bilobed, firmly membranous ; blades narrowly linear, tapering to a fine point, 3 to (> indies, by 1 J to 4 lines, glaucous, usually subrigid, very slightly scabrid. PANICLE 2 to 4 inches long, erect or more or less flaccid and nodding, narrow ; branches suberect, simple, up to Ij inch long, filiform, flexuous, angular, slightly scabrid or smooth. SPIKELETS often closely imbricate, subsecund and laterally concavo-convex, obliquely oblong, l to 2 lines long, sometimes purplish ; sides of valve, scabrid , Stapf. KlIUHAKTA, Thllllb. SPIKELETS laterally compressed, panicled or racemed, sometimes solitary, jrcdicelled ; rhachilla disarticulating ))elo\v the valves, more or less obscurely produced. Florets 3 ; lower '1 reduced to empty valves, uppermost hermaphrodite. (iLi'MKs persistent, membranous. Valves 3, heteromorphous ; the hirer 2 empty, usually exceading the glumes, more or less cartilaginous, often bearded, and the upper with a callous ap]>cndage at, the base, awnless or awned ; the uppermost fertile, smaller, thinner, awnless, sometimes with a knob-like appendage at the base forming a hinge with the appendage of the upper empty valve. Pale narrow, keeled, finely 2 -nerved, nerves very close. Lodicules >. Stamens (5 or 3, very rarely 1. Styles dis- tinct, short ; stigmas plumose or brush-like, exserted above the base. Grain elliptic, much compressed : hilum a tine line almost as long as the grain ; embryo about \ of the grain. PERENNIALS OK AXNTALS of very varied habit, sometimes bulbous at the base or suffretescent ; blades flat or convolute, sometimes much reduced or suppressed : ligules membranous, usually short or reduced to a narrow rim ; panicle or racemes sometimes very scanty or even reduced to solitary spikelets. Species >"> in South Africa, one of them also in a slightly different form in East Africa, tropical Arabia, the Mascarene Islands, and India (here probably introduced). PLATE 446. EHBHARTA ERECTA, Lam., var. natalensis, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 671). Nat. Order Graininere. PERENNIAL. CTLMS tufted, geniculate-ascending from a procumbent often copiously branched base, slender, weak or wiry below, up to '2 feet long, glabrous, very rarelv reversedly pubescent below the nodes, smooth, 5 to (j-noded, sheaths tight, the lowest ultimately slipping from the culm, glabrous, rarely finely hairy, smooth ; ligules obtuse or truncate, up to 3 lines long ; blades linear from a clasping often timbriate base, gradually tapering, '2 to (i inches by 1 to 5 lines, flat, flaccid, glabrous, rarelv hairv, smooth or subseaberulous, margins often wavy, scabrid or ciliate. PANICLE erect or nodding, narrow, "2 to 8 inches long, loose, sometimes reduced to a raceme : branches distant, the lowest 2-3-nate, very unequal, the longest up to 1 to .'> inches, erect or spreading, simple or sparingly branched, filiform to almost capil- larv. rtexuous, glabrous or scaberulous above ; pedicels capillary, scaberulous to puber- ulous, up to 4 lines or more long. SIMKELKTS light green, oblong, 1| to '2 lines, very rarely t\ lines long. ( in'MKs ovate, obtuse or apiculate, 5-nerved, the lowest i to 1 line, the upper Ij line long ; emptv valves oblong, obtuse or truncate, smooth and shiny or scaberulous, trans- versely rugose, faintly o-nerved, the loire.r 1 J to 1 J line, the upper longer by to j, with a pair 'of obscure beardless ridges at the base ; fertile valve oblong, obtuse tosubacute, 1J to If lines long, glabrous, smooth, obscurely o to 7 -nerved ; lodicules usually glabrous. Stamens <> ; anthers to line long ; stigmas brush-like ; grain 1 line long. Vnr. luilulenx!* (Stapf). CULMS usually reversedly pubescent below the nodes ; sheaths and blades pubescent ; branches of the panicle and the pedicels often densely and minutely pubescent, Spikelets '2 to '2% lines long; empty valves scabrid and p iWulous ;' fertile valve obscurely bearded atjthe base. Stamens 3 (always ?). Habitat: NATAL. Clairmont, "><> feet alt., IHW 7200; Drakensberg, near Newcastle, JinrlnimiH 177; Tmsinga and base of Biggarsberg, BttckaiUW 94: Kiet \ lei, l>ttr]i-nerved, as shown in plate, not o-nerved as stated, and there are always 4 stamens. Fiji 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume; 3, 1st valve ; 4, 2nd valve in profile ; 5, fertile valve ; 6, pale : 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. AH enlaryi'd. PLATE 447. EHRHARTA CALYCINA, Sm.^ (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII, p. 674). Nat. Order Gramine;e. PERENNIAL, tufted, rarely stolon iferous CULMS usually geniculate, slender, simple or scantily branched, I to 2 feet long, smooth, glabrous, very rarely minutely villous below, 4 to 6-noded ; sheaths glabrous, rarely reversedly pubescent, rather tight ; ligules very short, truncate, denticulate ciliate ; blades linear from a clasping often denticulate and ciliate base, long and gradually tapering or shortly acute, rarely subobtuse, 1 to 4 inches, by 1 to % lines, flaccid or rigid, flat or involute to setaceous, glaucous, scaberulous, glabrous or hairy, margins sometimes wavy, scabrid. PANICLE very narrow, nodding, 3 to 9 inches long, subsecund, rhachis flexuous, smooth ; branches in distant semivvhorls, very unequal, the longest rarely more than 1 inch long, simple or scantily branched, spreading or erect, subcapillary, flexuous, smooth. SPIKELETS pallid, rarely purplish, oblong, 2J to 3 lines long. GLUMES subequal, narrow-oblong, acute or subobtuse, 7-nerved. Valves. empty ones unequal, loosely villous, lower very narrow, linear-oblong, acute, as long as the lower glume or shorter, sub-5-nerved, shortly bearded at the base in front, the upper oblong, obtuse, mucronate (inucro up to ^ line long), as long as the upper glume or longer, 5-nerved, with 2 large semi-lunar appendages at the base, beardless ; fertile valve oblong, obtuse, slightly shorter than the upper empty valve, glabrous or scantily hairy, obscurely 5 to 7-nerved ; lodicules glabrous. Stamens G, anthers H line long; stigmas brush-like: grain li line long. Habitat: NATAL. Sand dunes near the mouth of the Umla/.i Uiver, /vm. 414 ; Clairmont, 50 feet alt., Wood 7261. " A very polymorphic species, of which Nees distinguishes ( varieties and several sub-varieties ; but the characters used by him are so uncertain that I find it useless to retain his sulxlivisions." Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper "liiinc ; 3, 1st valvo : 4. 2nd valve in profile ; .">, fertile valve ; (>, pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. //// PLATE 447. EHRHARTA CALYCINA. PLATE 448. PHALARIS WINOR. PlIALARLS, Linn. SPIKELETS laterally emu pressed, iu contracted iu,re or less spike-like panicles' rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes, not or obscurely produced beyond the terminal floret. Florets 3, the lower 2 minute, rudimentary, the uppermost hermaphrodite, enclosed by the glumes. GLUMES subequal, boat-shaped, keeled, keel often winged. Empty valves very small, subulate to lanceolate, membranous, with a callous base, or 1 or both reduced to a minute callous scale; fertile valve thin, ultimately rigid, 5-nerved, awnless, ovate, acute. Pale almost as long as the valve, 2-nerved (sometimes obscurely). Lodicules 2, hyaline. Stamens 3. Styles long, distinct; stigmas plumose, exserted from the top of the spikelet. Grain much compressed, ovate, free, enclosed by the valve and pale ; hilum oblong, short, embryo equalling 1 the length of the grain. ANNUALS OR PERENNIALS; leaves flat; panicle terminal, stiff, spike-like, subcapitate or interrupted and lobed ; pedicels very short. Species 10, mainly natives of the Mediterranean region, but widely dispersed as weeds ; 1 species in the boreal region and in South Africa, and another from ( 'iilifornia to Chile. PLATE 448. PHALARIS MINOR, Ret/. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. GX3). Xat. Order Graminea-. PEKENNIAL. KHIXOMK short, pnemorse, stoloniferous : stolons with firm, searious, sheathing scales. CULMS erect from a creeping or ascending base. '2 to 4 feet long, rooting at the lower nodes, simple or very sparingly branched, firm, glabrous, finely striate, ."> to 7 or more noded. internodes gradually longer from the base, up to 1 foot long : sheathH glabrous, smooth, h'nelv striate, hirer tight, longer than the internodes, ///>/>> looser. shorter: ligule scarious, white, obtuse, 1J to 3 lines long; blades linear to lineal-- lanceolate, long tapering, to 1 foot, by 3 to S lines, rigid, glaucous, glabrous. smooth, many nerved. PANICLE erect, sometimes nodding, contracted, lobcd or spike-like. up to S inches long ; branches very short, adpressed to the rhachis. or longer (to l inch) and more or less spreading, copiously and densely branched, glabrous, smooth or seabrid. SIMKELETS ovate-lanceolate, '2^ to 3 lines long. GLUMES sub-equal, whitish-green or purplish acute. 3-nervcd, keel not or very obscurely winged, minutely serrulate, nerves raised. Kmpty valves sub-equal, lanceolate to subulate, obscurely 1 -nerved or nerveless, hairy with a callous base. | line long. Fertile valve scantily silky. 1J line long. Pale ciliate on the back. Lodiculea obli(juely ovate-lanceolate. Anthers 1| line long. Habitat : NATAL. By the Mooi Hivcr. 4000 feet altitude. Wood I0'.7 : Van Keenen's Pass. Wood 7215, partly. Also in Europe. D'-awn from Wood's 7^1"). This grass is said to be indigenous in Norway, and Baron F. v. Mueller says ol it : " Not without some importance as a reedy grass of bulky yield on wet meadows or in swampy places. A variety with white-striped leaves is a favourite as a ribbon plant for garden plots." /*. rnnarienx/x, the " Canary grass." belongs to this genus. Fig 1, Spikelet ; 2, glume ; 3, rudimentary valve; 4, fertile valve; 5 nale : (i, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All cnhirycd. PLATE 449 PHALARI5 ARUDINACEA. urn. FLAT AELICA RACE/AO5A. rm MKLICA, Linn. SI-IKKLKTS in spike or raceme-like or opan panicles, laterally or dorsallv com- pressed, or snbterete, jointed (sometimes imperfectly) on their pedicels or continuous with them ; rhachilla tardily disarticulating above 'the glumes, readilv between the fertile valves, lower 1 or '2 (rarely 3) florets hermaphrodite, the following 2-3 barren, small, embracing each other and forming a clavate or obloiif body. GLUMES 2, membranous, hydine or scarious obtuse or acute, 3 to o-nerved, or the upper 7-nerved. Fertile valves firmly membranous except at the hyaline margins and tips, awnless, 7 to 9-nerved, nerves evanescent below the tips ; 'callus minute, obtuse. Pales shorter than the valves, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, small, truncate, quite connate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, short: stigmas laterally exscrtcd. finely plumose. Grain enclosed by the more or less hardened (chartaceous) valve and the pale, free, oblong, semiterete to subterete : hilum a fine line as long as the . (ii.iMKs unequal or subequal, 5-nerved, the /nicer hyaline, ovate acute, 3 to 3J lines long, the upper oblong, firmer, acuminate, nerves rather close and prominent. slightly scabrid, 3J to 4 lines long. Valves slightly exceeding or equalling the glumes, the fertile oblong, obtuse or minutely truncate or emarginate, 7 to 9-nerved, nerves rather prominent, scabrid, sides only hairy ; hairs 2 lines long : body of barren valves clavate. glabrous, scaberulous. Anthers 1 line long. Grain 1 to 1} line n lonu\ semiterete. Habitat : XATAL. Berea. near Durban, by the roadside, ll'oo,/ 392(5 : Merebank, near Durban, IIW 72o8 ; Vernon, Jlm-hatmnloo : Wceneii County. 4000 feet silt.. \V,>r branched at the base. LEAVES all basal, with scattered fine spreading hairs all over to glabrous ; sheaths crowded, rather tirm, pallid, smooth, persistent ; blades usually setaceous or filiform, very acute, 3 to more than 12 inches long, sometimes flat and then up to 1 line broad, rather rigid PANICLE f to 3 inches by 3 to 3 lines, sometimes interrupted at the base ; branches solitary, adpressed to the rhachis ; lowest ^ to almost 1 inch long, divided from the base or nearly so, smooth ; pedicels unequal, mostly very short. SPIKELETS about 2 lines long, densely crowded, usually dark purple. GLUMES, valves and pales equally villous from fine greyish hairs. Glumes about l line long, tips firm, subulate. Valves very slightly shorter, often mucronulatr. Anthers f line long. Grain | to 1 line long, reddish brown. Habitat: NATAL. Near De Beer's Pass, Wood 5993 ; Noodsbeig, Wood 884 ; Karkloof, Rehmann 7361 ; Umpumulo to Riet Vlei, Buchanan 1GG, 1G7 ; and without precise locality, Buchanan 32 ; Gerrard 474. This is the grass which was formerly known in Natal as Kfelcria Gcrrcirdii, Munro, but which has now been transferred to the genus Stibitrus, of which it is the^only known representative It is widely distributed in the Colony, but is not so far as known to us of much, if any, agricultural value. Fig 1, Spikelot ; 2, glume; 3, valve; 4, pale; 5, pistil, stamens, and lodicules, //// enlarged. STIBURUS ALOPECUR01DES PLATE 453. POA TRIVIALIS, POA, Linn. SPIKELETS mostly 2 to 6-flowered, in loose or close (rarely in spike-like) panicles; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves glabrous or scantily and minutely hairy. Flowers hermaphrodite or the upper imperfect. GLUMES thin, membranous, keeled, acute or obtuse, 1 to 3-nerved. Valves membranous, sometimes rather firm, obtuse or acute, 5 to 7 -nerved ; callus small, obtuse, often with a tuft of long wool. Pales -shorter than the valves, 2-keeled.' Lodicules 2, more or less 2-lobed. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous. Styles short, free, stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain ovoid, oblong or linear, often grooved, free or adherent to the pale ; hilum punctiform, basal ; embryo small. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL ; blades flat and flaccid or convolute and more or less rigid ; ligules hyaline. Panicles open, often effuse, rarely contracted, spike-like. Spikelets rather small, awnless. Numerous species in the temperate regions, particularly of the northern hemisphere, few in the tropics. PLATE 453. POA TRIVIALTS, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 714). Nat. Order Graminepe. PERENNIAL, loosely tufted, glabrous. CULMS geniculately ascending, usually from a short arched rooting base, 1^ to 2 feet long, terete or subcompressed below, scabrid above, rarely smooth all along, about 3-noded ; internodes exserted ; sheaths somewhat loose, striate, smooth or rough, the lower thin ; ligules ovate-oblong, 2 to .T lines long ; blades linear, acute, 2 to 5 inches by 1 to 3 lines, usually flat and flaccid, scaberulous. PANICLE oblong to ovate or pyramidal when open, erect or slightly nodding, 3 to 7 inches long ; rhachis usually smooth below ; branches in distant semiwhorls of 4 to fi (mostly of 5), unequal, filiform, scaberulous, the longest up to 3 inches long and undivided often for more than half their length, distantly or closely branched, ultimate branchlets closely f> to 2-spiculate ; lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS green or purplish, ovate to oblong, acute, i to 2 lines long, 3 to 4 -flowered. GLUMES subequal, rather firm, lower narrow, oblong, acute, Ij to 1^ line long, 1 -nerved, keel scaberulous, upper glume ovate and acuminate, Ij line long, 3-nerved ; side-nerves prominent, keel very scabrid. Valves oblong, acute, rather firm, lower l line long, pubescent along the keel to the middle, otherwise glabrous, side-nerves rather prominent ; callus with a small tuft of very long wool. Pales \\ line long, 2-toothed, keels finely and very densely scabrid. Anthers 1 line long. Grain J line long, grooved. Habitat : NATAL. Without precise locality, Buchanan 33. Drawn from Buchanan's 33, which was very kindly lent for the purpose by the Director of the Herbarium at Kew ; the plant is not in our coll Fiff 1, Spikelet ; 2, lower -lame ; 15, upper glume ; 4, valve in profile ; 5 pale ; 6, pistil, stamens, nn lines long, closely 3 to 5-rlowered, pallid, rarely variegated with purple.. GLUMES rather unequal, lower ovate to oblong when expanded, acute, 1 to 1| line long, 1 -nerved; keel scaberulous ; Dipper ovate, acuminate, 1^ to 2 lines long, 3-nerved, side-nerves usually very short. Valves oblong, subacute to acute, lower 2 lines long, glabrous or minutely pubescent below, along the keel and the outer nerves, not connected by wool; tips hyaline; nerves prominent Pales Inline long, keels scabrid. Anthers 1 to l line long. Habitat : NATAL. On mountains about 100 miles inland. 4000 to 6000 feet alt., Snt/K't-lfiml ; Riet Vlei, 4000 to 5000 feet alt,, Buclinnwi 284 ; near the Mooi River, 3000-4000 feet alt., Wood 732f> (Mso)i 68) ; and without precise locality, Bud i an mi, 285. Very closely allied to the Abyssinian P. siiu'iixis, Hochst, ex A. Rich, which differs mainly in having narrower, more acute, valves, and longer ligules. Both species belong to the group of P. polycolea, Stapf. Drawn from Wood's 7320, which was collected near Mooi River by H. Mason. 1, Spikelet ; 2. lower o-linno ; .'?, upper glume : 4, valve; 5, pale ; 6, stamens, pistil, I'jilienles. All ciilnri/rr less compound, contracted or open, sometimes effuse. Numerous species, often very difficult to discriminate, in the temperate regions, particularly of the northern hemisphere, and a few in the high mountains of the tropics. PLATE 456. FKSTITA COSTATA, Xees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 721). Xat. Order (iramineac. PERENNIAL, densely tnfted ; innovation shoots intravaginal. CULMS erect, robust, up to 3 feet long, smooth, about 2-noded, internodes exserted. LEAVES glabrous ; basal sheaths crowded, the outer coriaceous, brown, nt length breaking up into fibres, persistent, upper somewhat lax. striate to silicate, green. smooth, uppermost more than foot long, ligules ovate, obtuse, l to 2 lines long : blades convolute in bud, then Hat, or involute when dry, much narrower than the sheath, linear, tapering to a very acute ]K>int, Imrer up to more than 1 foot by l to '.'> lines, firm, smooth on both sides or scabrid above and along the margins, prominently ribbed on the upper side, with a continuous sclerenchymatous layer on the back. PANICLE contracted or open, lax, angular, or ancipitous above ; branches 2 or 3-nate, lower very remote, filiform, flexuous, erect or spreading, angular, or ancipitous, smooth or scabrid, lowest 4 to 6 inches long, nsuallv undivided to the middle or beyond, then loosely divided ; branchlets contracted, fine ; pedicels verv unequal, 1 t<> (5 lines long, often very flexuous. SPIKEUETS erect or nodding, elliptic, (i to lines long, rather firm, scaberulous, distinctly o-nerved ; keels of pale scaberulous ; lodicules lanceolate, over -J line long. Anthers 2 to 3 lines long ; top of ovary pubescent. Habitat: XATAI.. IJiet Vlei, 4000 to ">0<)0 feet alt.. Jlin-lnnuin 234: Benvie. Karkloof, 3000-4000 feet alt,, MVWdOOo ; and without precise localitv. ll-ttchuiutn .">.'!. Also in Xyassaland. Drawn from Buchanan's 234. Fig 1, A spikelet ; 2, lower glnnio ; :$, nppor glmno : 4, valve; .~>, j)aU- ; 6, pistil lodicules ; 7, grain, front view : H, same, hack view. All <'>i! to 1| line long ; blades convolute in bud, then open or involute when dry, linear, acute, 3 to 8 inches by 1 J to 3 lines, firm, usually rather rigid, !) to 13-nerved. smooth below, scabrid above or rarely very scabrid all over, nerves prominent on the upper side. PANICLE very narrow, dense, often spike-like, sometimes interrupted, straight or slightly nodding, 3 to (iel. PERENNIAL. CIT.MS erect or snherect from a short ol)li(|iu i rhizome, rather stout, to more- than 2 feet high, glabrous or pubescent, particularly close to the nodes, about I -mxled, uppermost internode to more than 1 foot long, exserted. LKAVKS usually scantily and spreadingly hairy or almost glabrous ; sheaths tight, striate or sulcate, lowest thin, subpersistent, not breakh g up into fibres ; ligules hyaline, 1 to 2 lines long. Blades linear, tapsring to an acute point, (5 to 10 inches by '2 to 5 lines, flat, subHaccid, dull or sometimes subglaucous, strongly striate, scabernlous to scabrid or almost smooth below, margins scabrid, midrib prominent below, whitish. PAXICUC 6 to 9 inches long, erect, very lax ; axis slender, striate ; branches 3 to 2-nate. filiform, scabrid, very flexuous, up to 5 inches long, undivided to about the middli', then very scantily divided, branchlets 3 to 1-spiculate ; pedicels very unequal, lateral often much shorter than the spikelets. SPIKELETS linear-oblong, K to 15 lines long, light grden, more or less erect, very looselv .") to 10-flovvered ; rhachilla verv slender, joints scabrid, up to If line long. (Ji.tMKs unequal, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate in profile, acute to subacute, snbscarious, Imrei' 2^ to 4 lines long, 1 -nerved, 'i/jtjter broader, 3i to 4J lines long, 3-nerved, nerves strong and scabrid. Valves oblong-linear in profile, 4 to G lines long, scabernlous or scabrid on the nerves, prominently 7-nerved, margins almost straight to or beyond the middle, then very gradually curved towards the short verv minutelv 2-tid tip, very narrow ; awn very close to the tip, fine, straight, scaberulous, 2 to 3 lines long. Pales 4 to 5 lines long, keels rigidly ciliolate. Stamens 3 ; anthers about 1 to 1J line long. Ovary pubescent close below the appendage ; grain when immature linear, strongly convexo-concave. Habitat : XATAT, Kiet Ylei, 5000 feet alt., Biti-haimn 236. Closely allied to the European E. asper, Mtirr. and E. scfibridtix, Honk, from Cameroon Peak, and particularly to R. coy net tw, Stead ', from Abyssinia. Drawn from Buchanan's specimen, which was without leaves, and no stamens or lodieules were to be found. Fig I, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, grain. All enlarged. PLATE 460. BROMUS NATALENSIS, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 732). Nat. Order Graminere. PERENNIAL. CULMS erect, slender above, 1 to 3 feet long, glabrous, smooth, about 4-noded, upper internodes very long, exserted ; sheatbs tight, glabrous or nearly so, striate ; ligules hyaline, \ to f line long ; blades linear, over 4 inches, bv 1 1 line, flat, firm, strongly striate, very scantily hairy or glabrous. PANICLE erect, up to 7 inches long, sometimes very .scanty ; axis terete, smooth ; branches 2 to 6-nate, filiform, 1-spiculate, purplish, smooth, or almost so, flexuous, longest up to 3 inches long. SPIKELETS lanceolate- oblong, broad when quite open, glabrous, purplish, 1 j to 1J inch long, rather loosely 7 to !)-fknvered ; rhachilla joints scabrid, 1| line long. GLUMES slightly unequal, lanceolate in profile, long-acuminate, glabrous, /<>/'> lines long, 5 to 7-nerved, upper 5|-8 lines long, 7-9-nerved, nerves prominent. Valves lanceolate in profile, usually very minutely 2-toothed, mucronate or shortly awned, 6 to 8 lines long, acutely keeled, herbaceous-chartaceous, green, whitish below, scabrid, about 13-nerved, margins straight to about \ their length from the base, then hyaline, white, nerves prominent. Pales 3 to 5| lines long, folded between the "crested rigidly ciliolate keels ; filaments short, extremely delicate, clavate-tipped ; anthers ellipsoid, usually about \ line long, permanently enclosed in the floret ; ovary top with a large 3-lobed villous appendage ; stigmas short, sessile, slender, loosely plumose ; grain strongly compressed, linear-oblong, deeply grooved in front, tightly adhering to the valve and pale. Habit&t : NATAL. Hermansberg Station, 3000 feet alt., Buchanan 235. Probably a native of South America, often grown for fodder. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, 'valve in profile ; 4, pale ; 5, j istil, stamens lodicules ; 6, grain. All fiilarqcd. BRACHYPODIUM, Beauv. (in part . SPIKELETS at first cylindric, then laterally compressed, in a simple raceme or false spike with very short pedicels, with the flattened side to the axis ; rhachilla glabrous, disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves. Florets 5 to many, perfect, the uppermost more or less reduced. GLUMES more or less unequal, firm, strongly 3 to 7-nerved, lower often slightly asymmetric. Valves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, usually narrowed into a straight awn, or mucronate, rounded on the back, closely imbricate at first, then more or less diverging and rolling inwards, 7-nerved, nerves prominent in the upper part, faint below ; callus very short, obtuse. Pales oblong, rather broad, very obtuse or truncate, slightly shorter than the valve, 2-keeled, keels rigidly ciliate. Lodicules 2, lanceolate, usually ciliolate. Stamens 3, rarely 2. Ovary with a villous appendage at the top ; styles laterally inserted on the appendage, very short ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain linear or linear-oblong, convexo-concave, adhering more or less to the pale ; embryo small ; hilum filiform, long. PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL ; blades flat or setaceously involute ; racemes ter- minal ; joints of axis more or less hollowed out (at least the lower) on the side facing the spikelets ; spikelets usually few (sometimes I), erect or spreading, rather large. Species about 15, often very difficult to discriminate, mainly in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. PLATE 462. BRACHYPODIUM FLEXUM, if* VAR. SIMPLEX, SMI* PLATE 46. BRACHYPODIUM FLEXUM, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 736). Nat. Order Graminese. PERENNIAL. CULMS often abundantly branched below, ascending from ageni- culate (often decumbent and rooting) base, very slender, l to more than 2 feet long, glabrous or scantily hairy just btlow the nodes, smooth, 5 to 7-noded, interme- diate and upper internodes exserted, uppermost the longest ; sheaths tight, striate, sjireadingly hairy along the margins, otherwise very sparingly hairy or glabrous, excepting a finely tomentose line at the junction with the blade and the densely tomentose or villous (rarely finely pubescent) nodes, lowest sheaths finally thrown aside ; ligules extremely short, up to line long, truncate, brownish. Blades linear, long tapering to a very fine point, 2 to 5 inches, by l to 3 lines, flat, glaucous, subrigid to almost flaccid, spreadingly hairy on the upper side, less so or glabrous and scabrid or scaberulous on the lower side ; false spike erect or nodding, usually flexuous, 2-ranked, 9 to 1-spiculate, up to 4 inches long ; rhachis very slender, strongly compressed, striate, slightly rough or smooth except along the scabrid margins ; pedicels very short, up to f line long, finely puberulous to almost glabrous. SPIKELETS usually more or less spreading, | to 1 inch long, glabrous, very rarely sparingly pubescent, 7 to 16-flowered. GLUMES acute to acuminate, lower subulate to subulate-lanceolate, 1 to almost 3 lines long, 4-5- (rarely 3) nerved, npper lanceolate to oblong, 2 to more than 3J lines long, 7-nerved, nerves very prominent. Valves lanceolate, acuminate, gradually narrowed into the awn, 3 to 4 lines long, rather firm, finely scaberulous, rarely subpubescent above, 7-nerved ; awn up to 3^ lines long, shorter in the lower florets. Pales 3j to almost 4 lines long, rigidly ciliate in the upper part ; anthers over Ij line long, linear. Var. simplex (Stapf). Culms simple, up to more than 2 feet high, erect, rough from minute reversed hairs to reversedly hirsute, rarely smooth towards the panicle. Panicle up to foot long, flexuous. Spikelets erect or spreading, up to if inch long, and to 18-flowered, glabrous, scaberulous. Glumes and valves by about | to ^ longer than in the type. Habitat : NATAL. Var. simplex, Umsinga and base of Biggarsberg, Buchanan 104 ; on the Drakensberg, near Newcastle, Buchanan 198 ; without precise locality, Buchanan 60, 61 ; Van Reeneu, 5500 feet alt,, Wood 8885 ; Zululand, SwanJuM. Var. tetme, Umpumulo, 2100 feet alt., Buchanan 233; without precise locality, Buchanan 79. Drawn from Wood's 8885. Fig 1, Lower glume-upper ; 2, glume ; 3, valve and callus ; 4, valve opened ; ~>, pale ; 6, pistil, stamens and K-dieules-. All enlarged. LOLIUM, Linn. SPIKELETS usually more or less compressed, 2-rankerl, alternate, sessile in the hollows of the rhachis of a simple spike ; rhachilla glabrous, disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves. Florets 3 to 11, or sometimes more, perfect or the uppermost reduced. GLUMES of terminal spikelets equal and similar, lower suppressed in the lateral spikelets, upper linear to oblong obtuse to acute, flat or slightly rounded, coriaceous prominently 7 to 9-nerved. ' Valves oblong, rounded on the back, subobtuse, minutely 2-toothed (or acute in profile), more or less chartaceous except at the short hyaline tips, glabrous, 5-nerved, muticous or awned ; awn a straight bristle from close to the tip. Pales equalling the valves or nearly so, 2-keeled, keels more or less crested. Stamens 3. Lodicules 2, lanceolate with a lateral tooth. Ovary glabrous, truncate ; styles distinct, very short ; stigmas laterally exserted, plumose. Grain elliptic-oblong to linear-oblong, tightly enclosed by the valve and pale, adhering to both ; embryo short ; hilum linear almost as long as the grain. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL Blades linear, flat ; ligules hyaline ; spikes terminal ; spikelets more or less erect, 2 -ranked, with the (upper) glume opposite the hollow of the rhachis. Species 6-8 in the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North Africa ; else- where introduced. PLATE 463. LOLIUM TEMULENTUM, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 738). Nat. Order Graminese. ANNUAL. CULMS fascicled or solitary, erect, rather stout, straight, 1 to l foot long, glabrous, rough, at least in the upper part, 2 to 4-noded, uppermost internode usually long exserted. LEAVES glabrous ; sheaths rather tight, strongly striate ; ligules very short, truncate ; blades linear, acute, J to 1 foot by 2 to 3 lines, flat, rough ali over or only on the upper side and along the margins. Spikes erect, J to 1 foot long, of rather numerous (10 to 20) spikelets ; axis rather stout, slightly rough or smooth on the back. SPIKELETS about the length of the internodes, or the lower shorter and more distant, the upper more approximate, laterally compressed, 5 to 9 lines long, 5 to 9-flowered Florets turgid. GLUMES, upper oblong, equalling or somewhat exceeding the uppermost floret, subobtuse to acute, very rigid, flat, glabrous, smooth, 7 to 9-nerved. Valves elliptic-oblong, obtuse or subobtuse, muticous or usually awned, 3 to 3| lines long, rounded on the back, herbaceous-chartaceous, smooth, 5-nerved, tips rather broad, hyaline, obscurely 2-toothed ; awn subterminal, straight, rather stout at the base, scaberulous, up to 8 lines long. Pales broad, keels green, stout. Anthers ovsr 1 line long. Grain elliptic-oblong, semiterete, grooved in front, slightly shorter than the pale. Habitat : NATAL. Buchanan 50. An imported noxious weed, commonly known as " Darnel." The fodder is useless, and the seeds are undoubtedly poisonous to cattle, and also to human beings ; they are said to be more poisonous in wet than in dry seasons. Fig 1, Glume; 2, valve ; 3, pale; 4, pistil, stamens, and lotlicnles. All cnlitryed. PLATE 463. LOLIUM TEM ULE NTUM, -inn. OLYKA, Linn. SPIKKLETS uniseqnal, heteromorphous, both sexes in the same panicle or some- times in different panicles of the same or very rarely of different individuals ; rhachilla disarticulating below the valve. Male spikelets smaller than the female, in mixed panicles below them and much more numerous, 1 -flowered. Gl.U)IE8 suppressed, indicated by a minute, sometimes obscurely 2-lobed, rim just below the articulation of the rhachilla. Valve lanceolate to almost subulate in profile, acuminate or caudate-awned, membranous, 3-nerved. Pale shorter than the valve, 2-nerved. Lodicules 3 or (?) Stamens 3. Ovary 0. Female spikelets terminal, or terminal and lateral on the branches or branchlets of the panicle, above the male, 1 -flowered. Glumes subequal and similar, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate or caudate- awned (particularly the lower), papery or membranous, 3 to it-nerved, transversely veined, persistent. Valve elliptic to lanceolate, awnless, sttbcoriaceous to hard, cartilaginous, o-nerved (or apparently nerveless). Pale similar to the valve in shape and substance, 2-nerved. Lodicules 3, truncate-cuneate. Stamens 0. Ovary glabrous, acuminate ; style simple below or beyond the middle ; stigmas plumose, terminally exserted. (irain tightly enclosed by the hardened valve and pale, biconvex ; embryo short ; hilum linear, almost as long as the grain. Branched, tall or dwarf perennials ; blades convolute in bud, then flat, often broad and asymmetric, shortly petioled, transversely veined : ligules papery, very short ; panicles terminal, sometimes with 1 or few axillary additional ones, rarely all axillary, often decompound. Species about 20, in tropical America, one of them extending to tropical Africa, the Mascarene Islands and Zululand. PLATE 464. OLYKA LATIKOLIA, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 746). Xat. Order Gramineaj. PERENNIAL. CULMS erect, branched, 3 to to (5 inches long, rather contracted or .subpyramidal ; axis slender, angular, pubescent ; branches solitary or sometimes fascicled, subflexuous or straight, angular, pubescent ; pedicels adpressed, of the male spikelets filiform, of the female clavate. Male spikelete lateral, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, awned from the valve, glabrous. GLUMES quite rudimentary, forming an inconspicuous slightly 2-lobed puberulous rim at the tip of the pedicels. Valve herbaceous-membranous, gradual Iv passing into an awn of about equal length, If to 2 lines long, 3-nerved ; lodicules 3, cunciitc. thin. Anthers over 1 line long. Female splkeletx solitary and terminal on the tips of the branches, or '2-l\. rarelv more, below the terminal spikelet, oblong-ovoid, turgid, awned from the lower glume. GLUMKS ovate, elliptic, membranous, strongly nerved and veined, i//>/>cr acuminate or shortly caudate-acuminate, about 4 lines long, "> to 7-nerved, Imn-r produced into a flex nous scabrid awn of equal or greater length, 7 to !>-nerved. Valve ovule-elliptic, obtuse, 2 to 3 lines long, white or greyish, cartilaginous, very hard, shining ; stvlrs connate beyond the middle ; grain oblong. Habitat: NATAL. Ungoya Forest, \Vootl 3X5(5; same localitv, (iemtrd and M<- Ken 2014. Fig 1, Portion of panicle, showing male and female spikelets ; Female Spilielct 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume : 4, valve ; 5, pale ; 6, pistil and lodicules ; Male Sjiikc/ct 7, valve; N, pale ; 9, stamens and lodicules; 10, portion of sheath, showing ligulc and petiole. All enlarged, PLATE 464. OLYRA LATI FOLIA, PLATE 465. ANDROPOGON DISTACHYUS, IMH. PLATE 465. ANDBOPOGON DISTACHYUS, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 343). Nat. Order Gramiuesc. PERENNIAL, tufted. CULMS erect, slender, 1 to 2% feet long, glabrous, terete about 3-noded, simple or branched below ; sheaths terete, tight, glabrous or particularly the lower, hairy, lowest reduced to villous scales ; ligules "membranous, about ^ to f line long, ciliokte, blades linear, tapering to a long and sometimes very fine point, 2 to (S inches by f to 1 line, flat, subrigid to flaccid, more or less hairy to villous or sub- glabrous, margins rough. Racemes 2-nate, very rarely 3 to 5-nate, distant from the uppermost sheath, 2 to 4 inches long, rather stout, strict or curved ; joints cuneate, 2 to ~2^ lines long, stout, translucent along the middle, finely pubescent on the back, ciliate along the outer margin, tips denticulate, pedicels similar, slightly longer, firmer and less translucent, tips produced into a denticulate lobe facing the upper glume. , Xettxile splkelets 5 to ,5^ lines long, pale green, tips often purplish, callus short, obtuse, bearded. GLUMES, Joirer subherbaceous, broadly lanceolate, dorsally flattened, glabrous or puberulous. rarely villous. Keels broadly winged above, wings membranous, whitish or purplish,, intracarinal nerves about 7 to 11, partly evanescent below ; upper glume distinctly shorter than the lower, rigidly membranous, boat-shaped, 3-nerved, softly ciliate, tips minutely 2-toothed with an interposed bristle, about as long as the glume. Valves equal, 3 lines long ; Incer 2-nerved, ciliate ; upper oblong, 2-fid to f , firmer below, 3-nerved, lobes lanceolate, glabrous, awn slender, about 1 inch long, kneed much below the middle, scab;:rulous below the knee ; pale minute or obsolete. Anthers line long, (irain oblong, 1 line long. tx male, similar to the sessile, about 4 lines long, but narrower. GLI'MKS, loti'er less acuminate and less distinctly winged, with a short terminal bristle ; upper thinly membranous. Valves delicately hyaline, upper shortly bifid, muticous. Habitat: NATAL. Newcastle, Buchanan 179; and without precise locality, Buchanan 15. '' Common in the Mediterranean countries, also iii Abyssinia and on Cameroon Peak/' Drawn from Buchanan's 179, which was kindly lent for the purpose by the Director of the Koyal Gardens and Herbarium at Kew. Fig 1, Spikelets. Sessile spikeletYig 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower valve ; 5, upper valve ; 6, pistil, stamens and lodieules. Pedicelled spikekt7, lower glume ; 8, upper glume ; 9, lower valve ; 10, upper valve ; 11, floret. All enlarged. PLATE 466. ANUROPOGON PERTUSUS, Willd. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 345). Nat. Order Graminese. PERENNIAL. CULMS erect or ascending from the branched often prostrate base, simple above, 1 to 2 feet long, glabrous, 5-6-noded ; sheaths rather terete, except the compressed lower ones, usually bearded at the' nodes ; ligules truncate, up to line long, often with hairs from behind. Blades linear, tapering to a tine point, 2 to 6 inches by 1 to 2 lines, flat, glabrous or more or less hairy, scabrid. Kacemes digitate, rarely more distant on a common rhachis not longer than the lowest raceme, about 2 inches long ; peduncles usually glabrous except their bearded axils, short, joints and pedicels equalling half the spikelet or slightly longer, ciliate, upper cilia as long as the joint. Sessile spikelets about 2 lines long, lanceolate-oblong, pale, callus bearded. GLUMES, lower subchartaceous, minutely truncate, villous near the base, faintly 5 to 9-nerved, pitted on the back, keels spinulously ciliate alx>ve ; acute, sparsely ciliate or glabrous, 3-nerved. Valves, lower oblong, obtuse ; almost reduced to a kneed awn, 6 to 10 lines long. Pedicelled spikelets usually male, not or shallowly pitted, purplish, Var. cfipensis, Hack. CULMS up to 4 feet long; blades 4 to 12 inches, by 2 to 3^ lines ; racemes few to 20 ; lower glume of sessile spikelets lather firm, glabrous or very scantily hairy, pale, shining, 2 to 2|- lines long ; pedicelled spikelets usually 2-3-pitted. NATAL. Without precise locality, Germrd 692 ; mr. capcnxis, foot of Table Mountain, near Maritzburg, Krauss 29 ; Qmpumulo, Buchanan 190, 295, partly ; without precise locality, Buchanan 201 ; near Maritzburg, T. J. St. George 6 (Wood 7246). Drawn from the specimen collected by St. George. Fig 1, Portion of raceme, showing sessile and pedicelled spikelets. Sessile xpikelet Fig '2, lower glume; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower valve ; 5, upper valve; 6, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Pedicelled spihckt 7, lower glume ; 8, upper glume ; 9, valve and stamens. All enlurtjcd. PLATE 466. ANDROKJO* PERILS, PLATE 467. ANDROPOGQN SCHIMPERI, PLATE 467. AXDHOPOGON SCHIMPEBI, Hochst. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 357). Nat. Order Grramineee. PERENNIAL (always ?) CULMS erect, sometimes geniculate, stout, up to 5 feet long, gkbrous, up to 7-noded ; sheaths quite glabrous or the uppermost more or less hairy, those of the innovation shoots compressed, the others terete or slightly keeled in the upper part, the lowest whitish, almost scarious ; ligules obtuse, scabious, up to 2 lines long : blades linear, tapering to a long fine point, to 1 foot by 3 to 7 lines, subrigid to almost flaccid, flat, glabrous, rarely scantily hirsute near, the base, scabrid, at least upwards, margins scabrid to subspimilous. PANICLE large, oblong to ovate, lax, decompound up to l foot long. Spathes lanceolate, acuminate, narrow or broad, 1 to 1J inch long, scarious, reddish ; common peduncles filiform, glabrous except the curved tips, which are beset with long, yellowish tubercle-based hairs and enclosed in the spathe or shortly and usually laterally exserted. Racemes to 1 inch long, dense, scarcely spreading, very shortly and unequally peduncled ; joints 5 to many, filiform, obliquely truncate, up to 1 line long, shortly whitish ciliate, pedicels very similar; spikelets of the lost pair of the sessile raceme alike, male, the sessile of all the other pairs perfect, the pedicclled male. Perfect spikelets linear-oblong, 2 to 2j lines long ; pale. GLUMES, latrer subchartaceous to almost membranous, minutely truncate, dor sally flattened, glabrous or more or less villous, intracarinal nerves 5, some at least evanescent beloAV, keels spinulous ciliate above, callous bearded ; upper membranous, obtuse, 3-nerved, nerves scabrid near the tip. Valves, lower oblong, obtuse, faintly 2 -3-nerved, ciliate, upper shortly 2-fid, 1 -nerved, lobes oblong, obtuse, subglabrous, awn about 10 to 15 lines (rarely 2 to 2J inches) long, pubescent and kneed beloAV the middle ; pale 0. Anthers 1 line long. Pedicelled npikelets lanceolate, usually pale, 2 J to 4 lines long, glabrous or hairy. GLUMES, lower subherbaceous, acutely acuminate, 9 to 11 -nerved, often with a terminal bristle (up to 2| lines long), keels spinulous ciliate ; upper cuspidate, 3-nerved, ciliate. Valves, loirer linear-oblong, obtuse, equalling the glumes, 1-3 -nerved ; upper narrow, linear-cuneate, 1 to 3 lines long, 1 -nerved. Anthers ij to 2 lines long. Habitat : NATAL. Without precise locality, Gerrard 691. " A rather variable plant, extending throughout East Africa to Abyssinia. Gerrard's specimen represents a robust state, with hairy spikelets, like those of Schimper's No. 897 (coll. 1853) and 1052 (coll. 1863-8), and with long-aristulate male spikelets, as in Schimper's No. 1052 (coll. 1838)." Drawn from Gerrard's specimen, which was kindly loaned for the purpose by the Director of Kew Gardens and Royal Herbarium. Sessile tpikeletFig 1, Lower glume; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, upper valve ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Pedicelled spihelct, Fig 6, lower glume ; 7, upper glume ; 8, Jower valve ; 9, upper valve. AH enlarged. PLATE 468. ANDROrOGON BUCHANANI, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. Nat. Order Grammes. PERENNIAL ? CULMS erect, slender, over 2 feet long, glabrous, sheaths (of the upper leaves, which alone are known) terete, strongly striate, glabrous ; ligules membranous, up to 1 J line long, glabrous ; blades linear, acute, up to 8 inches by 1 line, flat, rather rigid, glabrous or hairy at the very base, smooth or scaberulous. Flowering branches remote, up to 1 foot long, erect, strict, scantily branched from the axils of perfect leaves ; spathes very narrow, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 2 to 2J inches long, glabrous or very scantily hairy ; common peduncles filiform, quite enclosed in the spathe, strict, finely puberulous, 4 to 5 lines long. Racemes contiguous, slender, (i to 12 lines long, peduncled ; peduncles connate below whence one raceme snbsessile, glabrous, up to 2 lines long ; joints 4 to 6, filiform, lower short, glabrous or sub- glabrous, obliquely truncate, the upper like the pedicels, much finer and densely whitish ciliate ; lowest 2 sessile spikelets (or lowest one in the subsessile raceme) male, similar to the barren pedicelled spikelets, all the other sessile spikelets perfect. Perfect spikeUts, oblong-linear, 2 to 2|- lines long, callus acute, to f line long, beard dense, white. GLUMES lower subchartaceous, truncate, densely hairy, particularly in the upper part, hairs rigid, reddish, up to 1 line long, intracarinal nerves about 5-7, evanescent below ; upper membranous, truncate, 3-nerved, reversely ciliate. Valves, lou-cr linear- oblong, 1 to If line long, ciliate, faintly 2-nerved, upper linear, shortly bifid, a\vn about 1J inch long, bent above the middle, rufous-hairy below the bend, scabrid above ; pale ; anthers 1 line long. Male sessile spikelets, linear-lanceolate, subacute, 3 lines long, rufous-hairy. GLUMES, lower subherbaceous, intracarinal nerves about 5, percurrent, keels spinulous ciliate above ; upper acute, 3-nerved, reversely ciliate. Valves, loirer oblong, obtuse, 2 lines long, faintly 3-nerved, reversedly ciliate ; upj>er ovate-oblong, about l line long, 1-nerved, ciliate ; anthers 1 line long or smaller and barren ; barren pedicelled spikelets similar to the male, but narrower and smaller ; upper valve minute or ; anthers or rudimentary. Eabitat : NATAL. Umpumulo, 2000 to 2500 feet alt., H Drawn from a specimen kindly sent from Kew. Button's collector, 7. Sessile spikclet Fig 1, Lower plume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, upper valve : 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Pedicelled spihelet 6, Lower glume ; 7, upper glume : 8, lower valve ; 9, upper valve ; 10, stamens, All enlarged. PLATE 468. ANDROPOGON BUCHANAN! PLATE 469. DIGITARIA DEBILIS, PLATE 469. DIGITAHIA DKBILIS, Willd. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 377). Nat. Order Gramineac. ANNUAL. CULMS ascending from a geniculate base, scantily branched below, 1 to '2 feet long, glabrous, 5 or more noded, upper node by far the longest. LKAVKS glabrous or hairy ; sheaths rather thin, striate ; ligules rounded, 1J to '1 lines long ; blades linear from a subcordate base, tapering to a fine point, 3 to 5 inches by 1^ to t\ lines, flat, flaccid, margins scabrid. Racemes 3 to 10, subdigitate or on a scabrid angular common axis (1 to '2 inches long), singly or the lower sub- verticillate, erect or spreading, very slender, strict, 4 to S inches long ; rhachis filiform, angular, very scabrid, internodes up to '2 lines long ; pedicels 2-nate, one YITV short, the other up to 1 line long, fine, angular scabrid. S PIKELETS lanceolate, about 1J line long. GLUMES, loirer very minute, rounded, hyaline, upper linear-lanceolate, long acuminate, exceeding the lower valve by , strongly 7-nerved, finely and adpressedly silky between the outer nerves and along the margins, halves, lower oblong, shortly acuminate, rather over 1 line long, strongly 7-nerved, finely and adpressedly silky between the outer nerves and along the margins ; upper subchartaceous, slightly shorter than the lower, pale. Anthers' f line long ; grain J line long. Habitat : NATAL. Umpumulo, Buchanan 202 ; and without precise locality, 693. Also in tropical Africa, Madagascar, and the Mediterranean countries, from Algeria and South Italy to Portugal. Drawn from Gerrard's 693, kindly lent for the purpose by the Director of the Royal Gardens and Herbarium at Kew. Fig 1, Upper glume; 2, lower valve'; 3, upper valve ; 4, pale; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 470. DIGITAHIA FLACCIDA, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. p. 382). Nat. Order (Jraminea?. CULMS very slender, over 1 foot long ; uppermost sheath long, narrow, with a rudimentarv blade, glabrous. Racemes simple or compound below, silky villous, 3 to 7 lines long, on the slender branches of a narrow, flaccid, scantily branched panicle, 2 to 3 inches long ; rhachis finely filiform, triquetrous, smooth, internodes f to 1 line long. SPIKELKTS 2-nate or the lowest on 3-4 spicnlate short branchlets, oblong, suh- acutc, 2 to l line long, unequally pedicelled, pedicels finely filiform, smooth and glabrous or with very few rigid hairs near the discoid tips. 1 GLUMES, lrer delicately hyaline, ovate, obtuse, up to J line long, nerveless. glabrous or scantily hairy ; tipper lanceolate-oblong, subacute, 1 line long, 3-nervecl. densely and long villous, margins delicately hyaline, rather broad. Valves, Imrer oblong. subacute, 1 to almost '2 lines long, 7-nerved, glabrous along the middle nerve, densely villous on the sides, particularly along the upper edge of the inflexed margins, hairs acute, somewhat rigid, often purplish, exceeding the valve ; upper subchartaceous, oblong, acuminate, up to 1 line long. Habitat : NATAL. Umsinga and base of Biggarsberg, E-nclutnun 88. This species is remarkable for having two short, nerved, cuneate lodicules in the lower floret, although the pale itself is extremely reduced and scarcely exceeds them. I do not know any other similar case in the genus. (Note by Dr. Stapf). No specimen of this grass was in our Herbarium, but the Director of the Royal Gardens at Kew kindly allowed a drawing of it to be made by Miss Smith, which our artist, Miss Franks, has copied. Fig 1, lihachis and spikelets : 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale and lodicules : .'>, up^er glume and pale ; 6, pistil and lodioulcs, All enlarged. PLATE 470. D1CITARIA FLACCIDA, sw PLATE 471. PANICUM ARRECTUM, HACK. PLATE 471. PANICUM ARUECTUM, Hack. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII.. p. 393). Nat. Order Graminea?. PERENNIAL, quite glabrous. CULMS ascending from a prostrate rooting base, 1 to 2 feet long, compressed below, terete in the upper part, glabrous, many-noded, scantily branched ; sheaths somewhat loose, striate, smooth, the lower withering ; ligule a dense fringe of hairs ; blades linear, acute, 2J to 4 inches, 1J to 2 lines, usually more or less convolute, rigid, green, smooth except the scabrid margins. False spikes 2 to 4, distant on a triquetrous smooth axis up to 3 inches long, secund, 2-ranked, 1 to 1J inch long ; rhachis linear, j to J line broad, flat on the back, with a very prominent wavy midrib in front, smooth ; pedicels solitary, very short, stout, tips subdiscoid, with 1-2 spreading hairs. SPIKKLETS contiguous, oblong, subacute, 1J to If line long, green or tipped with purple. GLUMES, hirer facing the rhachis, thinly membranous, elliptic to rotundate- ovate, obtuse, to f line long, sub- 7 -nerved ; upper membranous, oblong, con- spicuously 7 to 9 -nerved, nerves green, lo wer floret male ; valve like the upper glume, but narrower, 7 -nerved ; pale equal, obtuse, anthers over 1 line long. Perfect floret broadly elliptic, obtuse, 1J to l line long ; valve 7 -nerved, transversely wrinkled. Habitat : NATAL. Without precise locality, Gerrard 686. The plate copied from a drawing made by Miss Smith at Kew, by kind per- mission of the Director. Fie, 1, Part of rhachis and two spikelets ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower ralve ; 5, pale ; 6, upper yalve ; 7, pale ; 8, pistil and lodicules. All enlarged, PLATE 472. PANICUM PYRAMIDALE, Lam. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 395). Nat. Order Gramineso. PERENNIAT,. CULMS erect from a genicnlate or prostrate base, or floating, terete, up to 15 feet high, in tall.specimens very robust, as thick below as the middle finger or thicker, often with whorls of long roots from the submerged nodes, sheathed all along or some of the internodes at length exserted, many-noded ; sheaths striate, smooth, glabrous, rarely hispid, terete; ligule a fringe of hairs. Blades linear from a rather broad and rounded, or from a slightly attenuate and decurrent base, long tapering to a fine point, I to 2 feet by 3 to 12 lines, flat, firm, glabrous, often more or less glaucous, smooth above, scabrid below in the up] KM' part, margins cartilaginous, spinulous or scabrid or smooth below, midrib usually broad, whitish. PANICLE erect, rarely nodding, usually linear-oblong, dense, to 1 foot long, facing all sides or sometimes subsecund ; axis stout, 3 to 4 angular, silicate, hispidulous or glabrous and smooth except the scabrid angles, usually with a fringe of hairs at the nodes ; branches very many, some solitary, others 2-nate or fascicled, the lowest distant, the others rather close, suberect, strict or flexuous, raivlv nodding, 1 to 3 inches long, forming moderately dense simple or subsimple spikes ; rhachis slender, triquetrous, hispidulous or glabrous ; pedicels fascicled, very short, tips discoid. SPIKELETS ovoid, cuspidate, l to 2 lines long, greenish or variegated with purple. GLUMES herbaceous-membranous ; lower broadly ovate, clasping at the base, acute, about half the length of the spikelet, 5-nerved, margins scabrid or ciliate ; upper glume ovate to ovate-oblong, shortly acuminate, very concave, scarcely snorter than the spikelet, 5 to 7 -nerved, minutely and rigidly pubescent or sub- glabrous between the scabrid or spinulous nerves. Florets, lower male, valve similar to the upper glume, flat on the back, pale oblong, subacuminate, keels scabrid. Anthers to 1 line long. Perfect floret usually elliptic, rarely oblong, cuspidate, l to 2 lines long, straw-coloured, smooth, valve coriaceous, 5-nerved. The typical form is common throughout tropical Africa, sometimes covering large areas in and near stagnant water. : NATAL. Valley of the Umgeni River, Dreye 4242; near Verulam, 200-300 feet alt,, Wood 8877! Drawn from Wood's specimen. Fig I, Rhaohis and spikelets ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower valve ; .5, pale ; 6, stamens and lodieules ; 7, upper glume; 8, pale; !), pistil, stamens, and lodieules, All enlaryrd, PLATE PAN1CUM PYRAMIDALE, LAH. PLATE 473. PANICUM CRUS-GALLI, UNH. PLATE 473. PANICUM CBUS-GALLI, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 397). Nat. Order Graminepe. ANNUAL. CULMS geniculately ascending, compressed below, 1 to 3 feet high, glabrous, smooth, 3 to 5-noded, sheathed all along or the internodes at length more or less exserted, often branched below ; sheaths striate, smooth, the lower often strongly compressed, whitish, glabrous except the lowest, which are pubescent at the very base ; ligules 0, junction of blade and sheath glabrous inside. Blades linear from a scarcely narrowed base, tapering to an acute point, 3 to 8 inches by 3 to fi lines, flat, subflaccid, glabrous, more or less glaucous, smooth above, scaberulous below, particularly towards the tip, margins finely cartilaginous, scabrid to almost smooth, midrib narrow. PANICLE erect, strict, or flexuous, 3 to 8 inches long ; axis triquetrous. 3 to 5-angled, scabrid ; branches few to about 15, solitary or 2-nate, suberect or spreading, distant except the uppermost, the lower 1 to 2 inches long, forming rather stout, dense, simple or subsimple, subsecund, sessile false spikes ; rhachis triquetrous, scabrid, coarsely bristly, particularly near the nodes. Pedicels fascicled or 2-nate, very short, up to line long, scabrid, bristly at the base, tips obscurely discoid. SPIKELETS crowded, ovoid-ellipsoid, cuspidate, 1|- to 1J line long, greenish or tinged with purple. GLUMES, hirer membranous, very broadly ovate, clasping at the base, obtuse t<> subcuspidate, line long, 5-nerved, scaberulous ; 'upper herbaceous-membranous, very broadly ovate-oblong, concave, acute or cuspidate, Ij line long, 5- (or near the tips) 7-nerved, rigidly pubescent between the scabrid and spinulous nerves. Florets, loirer barren ; valve similar to the upper glume, but flat or depressad on the back ; cuspidate or produced into a scabrid, often long, awn, 7-nerved through- out or only towards the tips ; pale elliptic, shorter by than the valve, keels scaberulous above ; perfect floret elliptic-ovate, cuspidate, over 1 line long, whitish or yellowish, smooth ; valve subcoriaceous, 5-nerved. Anthers oblong, scarcely f line long ; grain broadly elliptic, f line long. Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Williamson ; Buchanan 3 ; Berea, Wood 8883. Fig 1. Lower glume ; 2, upper glume; 3, lower valve; 4, pale; 5, upper valve and pale : 6, pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules, AH enlarged. PLATE 474. PANICUM MILIARE, Lam. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 408). Nat. Order Gramineae. ANNUAL. CULMS erect or geniculate, 1 to 3 feet long, glabrous, 3 to 5-noded, usually with flowering branches from some of the nodes. LEAVES glabrous, very rarely more or less hirsute with tubei'cle-based hairs ; sheaths loose, strongly striate, smooth, longer or shorter than the internodes ; ligules very short, truncate, ciliolate ; blades linear from a usually broader and rounded base, tapering to an acute point, J to almost 2 feet, by 2 to 7 lines, flat, flaccid. PANICLE erect or nodding, contracted, narrow, decompound, lax or dense, J to 1 foot long ; axis slender, striate, smooth ; branches alternate, 2 or 3-nate, the lower rather distant, filiform, angular, scaberulous, the longest 2^ to more than 6 inches long, undivided for |- to 2j inches, often nodding, branchlets and pedicels contracted, the latter very unequal, very short or up to inch long, scabrid, tips slightly thickened. SPIKELETS subturgid, ellipsoid or oblong, more or less acute, l to If line long, glabrous, green or purplish. GLUMES, lower very broadly ovate, clasping, acute or subacuminate, J to almost 4 the length of the spikelet, about 3-nerved ; ujtper oblong, subacuminate, very concave; 1^ to if line long, 11 to 13-nerved. Lower floret barren, valve like the upper glume, but 9-nerved ; pale subequal, narrow, 2-keeled. Perfect florets oblong, acute, 1 line long, smooth, shining, pallid or brownish ; valve coriaceous, 7-nerved, anthers line long. H&bit&t : NATAL. Between Umzimkulu and Umkomanzi Rivers, Dreije. Commonly cultivated all over India, and possibly originated from P. px/lopixlium, Trin., an equally common Indian grass. Drawn from a specimen kindly lent by the Director of the Royal Gardens at Kew. The specimen was gathered in South Concan by Mr. Law. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, fertile valve ; 6, pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All eiilan/ed. HLATE 474. PANICUM MILIARE, LAM PLATE 475. PANICUM CURVATUM, LINN. PLATE 475. PANICUM CUEVATUM, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 414). Nat. Order Gramineae. PERENNIAL. CULMS ascending from a decumbent or rambling base, very slender, many-noded, glabrous, internodes exserted ; sheaths tight, striate, 'ciliate along the margins, otherwise glabrous or sparsely hairy ; ligule a very narrow, minutely ciliolate rim ; blades more or less spreading, linear to linear-lanceolate from a strongly and suddenly constricted base, tapering to an acute point, 2 to 4 inches by 2 to 3 lines, flat, thin, glabrous or sparsely hairy towards the base, smooth, margins scaberulous, PANICLE erect, contracted and linear or open and ovate, 1 to 3 inches long ; axis slender, smooth ; branches spirally arranged, rather distant, not very numerous, the lower up to l inch long, loosely divided almost from the base, subcapillary, smooth ; lateral pedicels very short and fine, tips discoid. SPIKELETS curved, semi-ovate to suboblong, acute or obtuse, 1 to Ij line long, green, strongly nerved. GLUMES, lower very minute, broadly ovate to orbicular, nerveless ; upper equalling the spikelet, very concave, gibbous below, strongly curved, acute or obtuse, membranous, 9-ribbed. Florets, lower barren ; valve oblong or ovate- oblong, obtuse, straight, equalling the lower glume, herbaceous on the sides and at tip, 7-nerved ; perfect floret elliptic-oblong, acute, f line long, strongly convex ; valve chartaceous, very obscurely 5 -nerved ; anthers J line long. Habitat : NATAL. Between Umzimkulu Kiver and Umkomanzi River, Drege, 4252 ; coastland, Sutherland ; near Durban, Williamson, 30 ; and without precise locality, Gerrard 479. Also in the Mascarene Islands and in South India. Drawn from Gerrard's specimen, which was kindly lent for the purpose from Ke w. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; o, upper valve ; 6, pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 476 PANICUM HYMENIOCHILUM, mes. PLATE 47*6. PANICUM HYMENIOCHILUM, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 399). Nat. Order Graminese. CULMS decumbent, very slender and weak, 1 to Ij foot lone, more or less finely hairy or glabrescent, many-noded, branched from some or most of the nodes internodes exserted. LEAVES finely hairy ; sheaths thin, rather tight, at length often loose and thrown aside, strongly striate, tubercled between the nerves ; ligule an obscure ciliolate rim ; blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, tapering almost from the broad clasping base to a fine point, 1 to 3 inches, by ] to 3 lines, flat, flaccid, margins scabrid, sometimes callously serrulate, and often with a few bristles towards the base. PANICLES very scanty, flaccid, 1 to 1 inch long, consisting of few 5-2-spiculate short branches, up to inch long ; axis, branches and pedicels filiform, angular, finely hairy or glabrescent, sub-scaberulous, lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS .oblong, subobtuse, Ij line long, greenish, glabrous, finely but prominently nerved. GLUMES, lower lanceolate to subulate from a broader base, 1 -nerved, hyaline, equalling of the spikelet ; upper one thinly herbaceous, oblong, subobtuse, 1 line long, 7 to 9-nerved. Florets, lower male ; valve like the upper glume, 1^ line long, 7 to 9-nerved ; pale slightly shorter, keels scabrid above, evanescent below the hyaline tip ; perfect floret oblong, subobtuse, i line long, smooth, whitish ; valve thinly chartaceous, 5-nerved ; anthers | line long. Var. glandulosum, Nees. More robust ; blades up to 3 inches by 3 lines, more densely hairy to villous ; panicle oblong to ovate, up to 3 inches long, much more divided ; axis, branches and branchlets with scattered gland-tipped hairs, branches suberect or spreading, up to more than 1 inch long ; pedicels longer ; spikelets more scattered. Habitat : NATAL. Between the Umzimkulu River and the Umkomanzi River, Drege 4247 ; rar. glandulosum, near the Umlazi River, below 200 feet, Drege 4292 ; on the Flats near Durban, Drege 4248 ; coastland, Sutherland. Our drawing was copied from one made by Miss M. Smith at Kew, and kindly sent to us by the Director. Fig 1, Whole plant , Drege 4247) ; 2, inflorescence (Drege 4292) ; 3, branchlets ; 4, two spikelets ; 5, lower glume ; 6, upper glume ; 7, valve of male floret ; 8, pale of male 9, valve of perfect floret ; 10, pale ; 11, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Fig* 1 and, size, remainder enlarged. PLATE 477. PANICUM PEELAXUM, Stapf. (Fl. Cap , Vol. VII. , p. 400). Nat. Order Graminese. PERENNIAL, rhizome slender. CULMS suberect or ascending, very slender, 1 to 2 feet long, more or less branched, 5 to many-noded, glabrous, internodes mostly exserted. LEAVES glabrous or hairy ; sheaths thin, striate ; ligule an obscure minutely ciliate rim ; blades linear to linear-lanceolate from a suddenly contracted, subauriculate base, tapering to an acute point, 2 inches, by l to 3 lines, flat, thin, margins scabrid. PANICLE very lax and often very scanty, erect, 5 to 8 inches long ; axis filiform, smooth ; branches 3 to 5, usually solitary, remote, at length spreading, the longer 3 to 6 inches long, simple, 4-1-spiculate, or remotely and sparingly divided, with long 2-3-spiculate branchlets, finely filiform to capillary, flexuous, smooth ; lateral pedicels J to 1 inch long, tips cupular. SPIKELETS oblong, acute to subacuminate, l to 2 lines long, greenish, glabrous or pubescent, prominently nerved. GLUMES thinly herbaceous, equal, lto 2 lines long, the lower narrow, oblong, acute or subacute, 7 to 5-nerved ; upper ovate-oblong, acute, very concave, 7 to sub-9-nerved. Florets lower barren ; valve similar to the upper glume, but slightly shorter and 5-nerved or 7-nerved near the tip, subhyaline along the middle ; pale the length of the valve or more ; perfect floret oblong, acute or subacuminate, equalling the lower or a very little shorter, yellowish ; valve coriaceous, smooth, 5-nerved ; anthers f line long. Habitat : NATAL. Coastlands, Sutherland ; apparently more plentiful in Cape Colony than in Natal. Drawn from a specimen which was lent for the purpose by Dr. S. Schonland, F.L.S., the Director of the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, Cape Colony, as we have no specimen in our Herbarium. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, upper valve ; 5, pale ; 6, pistil and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 477 PANICUM PERLAXUM PLATE 4?a PAN1CUM CHUSQUEOIDES, ST*PF. PLATE 478. PANICUM CHUSQUEOIDES, Hack. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 400). Nat. Order Graminese. PERENNIAL. CULMS divaricately branched, rambling, very slender, 2 feet long, glabrous, many-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths very tight, terete, glabrous or ciliate along the margins, sometimes scantily dotted with tubercles ; ligules very short, truncate, obscurely ciliate ; blades spreading, linear-lanceolate from a broad rounded and suddenly contracted subpetiolate base, 2 to 3 inches by 2 to 4 lines, flat, thin, very finely nerved, glabrous, smooth, margins scabrid. PANICLE up to 5 inches long, consisting of 3 to 5 distant, suberect or spreading, glabrous, filiform angular branches, which are up to 2 inches long, and bear spikelets from 1 to 3 lines above the base ; pedicels solitary or 2-nate, unequal, one very short, the other up to ij line long, angular, smooth. SPIKELETS oblong, acute, Ij to if line long, greenish, glabrous. GLUMES, lower hyaline above, herbaceous below, rotundate-ovate, very obtuse, equalling j to of the spikelet, 3- nerved ; upp&i glume thinly herbaceous, oblong, subapiculate, 1 to if line long, 7 to sub-9-nerved. Florets, lower barren ; valve equal and very similar to the upper glume, but 5-nerved ; pale subequal ; perfect floret oblong, subapiculate, slightly shorter than the lower ; valve coriaceous, transversely wrinkled, 5-nerved, light green or yellowish ; anthers f line long. Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Jtehmcmn 8648 ; Williamson 11. Our drawing was copied from one made by Miss M. Smith at Kew, and kindly lent to us for the purpose by the Director. It was made from Williamson's specimen. Fig 1, Plant, natural size ; 2 spikelets : 3, lower glume; 4, upper glume ; o, valve and pale of male floret ; 6, valve of perfect floret ; 7, pale ; 8, lodicules, stamens an. Except fig I , all enlarged. PLATE SETARIA AUREA, A. Braun. (Fl. Cap , Vol VII., p. 426). Nat. Order Grammes. PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL or at least flowering the first year. Rhizome short, oblique, covered with the remains of old scales and sheaths, sometimes with subglobose innovation buds. CULMS suberect or ascending, often geniculate, 2 to 6 feet long, usually strongly compressed or even ancipitous below, strongly striate and scabrid or puberulous below the panicle, otherwise glabrous and smooth, 3 to 7-noded ; internodes exserted except the lowest, uppermost usually very long and slender ; sheaths striate, glabrous or softly hirsute, lower compressed, keeled, bases often persistent and breaking up into fibres ; ligule a shortly and densely ciliate rim ; blades linear, long tapering to an acute point, to i foot by 1J to 4 lines, or rarely 6 lines, flat, rather firm, sometimes rather rigid and more or less involute, glabrous or scantily hairy towards the base, soaberulous or almost smooth. PANICLE erect, straight or subflexuous, cylindric, 2 inches to more than 1 foot long, 2 to 3 lines thick [exclusive of the bristles), very dense, very bristly, usually orange-coloured or reddish ; axis slender, minutely villous or puberulous ; branches reduced to a subsessile one-sided involucre, consisting of 6 to 10 slender scabrid bristles, 2 to 7 lines long, yellowish to bright orange or reddish, and subtending usually 1 perfect and 1-2 arrested spikelets. SPIKELETS obliquely ovate to ovate-oblong, subapiculate or obtuse, l to l line long, pallid or purplish at the tips, glabrous. GLUMES very thin, membranous, ovate, acute or subacute, whitish or purplish, lower one 3-nerved, J as long as the spikelet ; upper 5-nerved, as long as the spikelet, nerves faint. Florets, lower male. Valve equal or subequal to the spikelet, flat or depressed along the middle, similar to the upper glume ; pale subequal to the valve. Perfect floret equalling or slightly exceeding the male, plano-convex, oblong, usually minutely apiculate, pallid or purplish upwards. Valve coriaceous, transversely wrinkled, 5-nerved. Anthers to 1 line long. Grain depressed ellipsoid, f line long. Habitat : NATAL. Impunzane, Sutherland ; Nottingham, Buchanan 70 ; Um- pumulo, Buchanan 170 ; without precise locality, (reward 473, Buchanan 169 ; Berea, Wood 5935 ; near Maritzburg, St. George 5 (Wood 7241); Shirley, Mooi River, W. T. Woods. " Not relished by cattle when green, when ripe they like it. Cattle prefer it to ordinary veldt. Makes a good weighty hay."- W. T. Woods. Fig 1, Spikelet with involucre ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower valve ; 5, pale ; 6, stamens and lodicules ; 7, upper valve ; 8, pale ; y, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 479.. SETARIA AUREA * PLATE 480 PENNISETUM TYPHOIDEUM 480. PENNISETUM TYPHOIDEUM, Rich. (Fi. Cap , Vol. VII, p. 432). Nat. Order Graminete. ANNUAL. CULMS erect, stout, 1 to several feet high, usually terete and simple, 5- or more noded, hairy to villous below the panicle, otherwise usually glabrous ; sheaths terete, glabrous except the bearded nodes and the often villous junction with the blade, rarely hirsute, usually slightly rough, rather shorter than the internodes ; ligule a narrow long and densely ciliate rim ; blades linear to linear-lanceolate from a rounded base, acute, to 2 feet by to l inch, flat, more or less rough, glabrous, rarely hirsute. PANICLE spike-like, cylindric, very dense, 4 to 8 inches by 5 to 9 lines (in the South African specimens) or longer and thicker, often purplish, rhachis stout, villous; branchlets reduced to a peduncled involucrate cluster of 3-1 spikelets; peduncles villous, straight, I to 2^ lines long, often horizontally spreading or partly deflexed ; involucre of very numerous ciliate often purplish bristles about as long as the spikelets. SPIKELETS sessile or shortly pedicelled within the involucre, readily deciduous when ripe, oblong, 2 to 2 lines long, pale or purplish upwards. GLUMES broadly ovate, obtuse, minute, hyaline, nerveless, ciliate, or larger (the upper to the length of the spikelet), firmer and 3-nerved ; florets similar, subequal, lower male or reduced to a minute empty hyaline valve. Valves broadly oblong, cuspidate or mucronate, 5 to 7-nerved, glabrous, ciliate or pubescent towards the margins or at the tips. Pales broad, oblong, truncate, glabrous, ciliate, or the flaps pubescent below. Lodicules 0. Anthers 1 to \\ line long, tips bearded ; styles connate ; grain ellipsoid to subglobose, equalling the gaping chartaceous very smooth valve and pale. Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Drege ; and without precise locality, Cooper 3338 ; Nels Rust (cultivated), Government Herbarium, 9090. Drawn from specimens grown in Botanic Gardens, Durban, Feb., 1907. " The 'Pearl Millet.' An annual requiring only about three months to ripen its crop. The stems reach to 6 to 10 feet in height, several being produced from one root, and each again forming lateral branches. Together with Sorghum, this is the principal cereal except rice grown in India by the native races ; it requires a rich soil, and on such will yield a hundred fold It furnishes hay of good quality though not very easily dried, and is also valuable as green fodder. It is Cultivated in the United States of America, and it matures as far north as Christiana, n Norway. Farm stock eat it greedily. One plant of ' Pearl Millet is worth thre< of maize for fodder." Baron F. v. Mueller. Fig 1, Spikelets, showing iuvolucre ; 2, lower glume; 3, upper glume : 4 ^ valve ; 5, pale f 6. upper valve : 7, same opened ; 8, pale : 9. pistil and stamens. All enlarged. HOLCUS, Linn: SPIKELETS in rather dense, oblong or interrupted panicles, laterally compressed, disarticulating from the tips of the pedicels ; rhachilla slightly produced beyond the upper floret, disarticulating more or less readily below the valves ; joints slender, lower curved and often appendaged. Florets 2, lower perfect, upper usually male, sometimes perfect or barren. GLUMES 2, membranous, keeled, acute or acuminate, lower 1-nerved, upper 3-nerved, sometimes awned. Valves shorter than the glumes, chartaceous, very obscurely 5-3-nerved, lower awnless, upper awned. Pales narrow, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, delicate. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain laterally compressed, enclosed by the valve and pale and often adhering to the latter, soft ; hilum short ; embryo small. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL. Blades flat or convolute when dry ; panicle usually more or less contracted, sometimes almost spike-like ; spikelets deciduous, pallid. Species about 6 ; 2 common in Europe, but naturalised in many temperate countries ; I in South Africa, the rest Mediterranean. PLATE 481. HOLCUS LANATUS, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 465). Nat. Order Gramineae. PERENNIAL, tufted, 2-3 feet high. CULMS 3 to 4-noded, softly hairy, at least below the panicle, rarely quite glabrous ; leaf-sheaths reversedly and softly hairy, rarely glabrous, villous at the nodes, the uppermost inflated ; ligule membranous, oblong, pubescent, 1 line long ; blades linear to linear-lanceolate, up to 6 inches, by 2 to 3 lines, the uppermost very short, flat, softly hairy. PANICLE erect, oblong, 2 to 6 inches long, usually contracted ; rhachis, branches, branchlets and pedicels hairy. SPIKELETS oblong, 2j to 2J lines long, whitish or purplish. GLUMES almost equally long, mucronate, scabrid, keels pectinate-ciliate, the lower narrower, the upper broader with prominent side-nerves ; lower floret perfect, upper male ; lower valve obliquely lanceolate-oblong, rather more than one line long, with a few hairs on the keel, very obscurely 5-nervtd ; callus with a few long hairs ; upper valve smaller and thinner, awn shorter than the valve, at length recurved, rather stout ; pales as long as their valves. Anthers | to 1 line long. H&bit&t : NATAL. The Dargle, 3400 feet alt., Woodhouse in Government Herbarium, 9177. Drawn from the Dargle specimen, the only one in our Herbarium. Introduced. Native of Europe, Siberia and North Africa, introduced into most temperate regions of both hemispheres. " A well known perennial pasture grass of considerable fattening property. For rich soil better grasses can be chosen, but for moist, moory or sandy lands, and also for forests, it is one of the most eligible pasture-grasses, yielding an abundant and early crop ; it is, however, rather disliked by cattle and horses. Bears continued grazing off extremely well " Baron F. v. Mueller. Fi<: 1, A spikelet ; 2, lower plume; 3, upper plume ; 4, florets ; 5, lower valve ; 6. pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules ; 8, upper valve. AH enlarged. PLATE 481. HOL-CUS L.ANATUS, '-""" CALAMAGROSTIS, Roth. SPIKELETS very narrow, lanceolate, acuminate, in contracted much divided panicles ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes, not or very shortly continued beyond the floret. Floret 1, perfect, much shorter than the glumes. GLUMES equal or subequal, very narrow, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, membranous, keeled, lower 1-, tipper 3-nerved. Valve narrow, lanceolate in profile, membranous, glabrous, more or less shortly bifid, 5-3-nerved with a fine short dorsal, rarely sub- terminal awn ; callus small, long hairy, hairs usually much exceeding the valve. Pale 2 -nerved, as long as the valve or somewhat shorter. Lodicules 2, hyaline. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous, styles distinct, short ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain enclosed by the hardly changed valve and pale, free, subterete ; hilum basal, small ; embyro small. PERENNIAL, usually rather robust : blades long, linear, flat ; ligules scarious. PANICLE more or less contracted, narrow, rather dense, with much divided branches and short branchlets and pedicels. Florets surrounded by long, fine hairs. Species few, in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, 2 also in South Africa. PLATE 482. CALAMAGROSTIS HUTTONI^E, Hack. (Records of the Albany Museum, Vol. I., No. 5). Nat. Order Gramineae. CULMS in the upper part (which only is present in our specimens) terete, very glabrous, shortly exposed at apex ; sheath of the uppermost leaf rather loose, scabrid ; ligule oblong, obtuse, cleft, about 3 lines long ; blade linear, acute, about 4f inches long, 1 line broad, very scabrid, nerves rather thick, excurrent. PANICLE linear-oblong, wide-spreading, rather dense, suberect, 7 to 9 inches long, by 14 to 19 lines broad, rhachis scabrid, branches 6 to 8, semiverticifiate, slender, filiform, or sub -capillary, erect, broad -spreading, very scabrid, undivided in lower half, then bearing many to verv many-spiculate secondary branches. SPIKELETS equally disposed on the branches, rather close together, shortly pedicelled, pedicels clavate at apex, very scabrid. Spikelets lanceolate, l line long, le green. GLUMES subequal (lower a very little larger), lanceolate, 1 line long, expanding to about line broad, very acute, 1 -nerved, keel very aculeato-scabrid. Valve a little shorter than the glume (about 1 line long), oblong, obtuse, minutely 4-fid at apex, thin-membranous, 3-nerved, back very glabrous, covered with the long, dense hairs of the callus, nmticous (or rarely in upper third producing an erect aristula scarcely exceeding itself) : pale subequal to the glume, oblong, rather obtuse, bidenhitc. 2-keeled, very glabrous. Anthers almost line long. Appendage of rhachilla about 4 inch long, densely bearded with hairs 1 line long. Habitat : NATAL. Shafton, Howick, Mrs. H. Hutton 384. In a note Professor Hackel says : " With the specimen there was a single com- plete flowering stalk, which represents Afjrostis lachnantha, Nees, slightly differing from the type. Both grasses therefore grow at the same place, and it is remarkable to notice that almost all characters (leaves, spikelets, relative sizes, form and nervation of the glumes and valves) agree in both, the only difference is in the indument, for Agrostis lachnantha has at the base of the valve only short hairs, and just such hairs at the sides, and on the back ; it is entirely without the prolongation of the axis." The drawing so far as the panicle is concerned was made from the specimen kindly lent for the purpose by Dr. S. Schonland, and after its arrival it was noticed by the artist that our specimens, Buchanan 286, Mason 44, and Mason (Wood 7323, partly), all classed as Agrosfis lachnantha were also mixed with the Calamagrostis, so that the lower portion of the plant was drawn from Mason's 44. The artist, Miss Franks adds the following description which is wanting in Professor Hackle's descrip- tion : " Culms erect, 2 to 3 feet high, 3 to ,5-noded, branched from the lower nodes. Sheaths striate, scabrid, glabrous." Fig 1, A spikelet; 2, glume ; 3, valve and callus ; 4, valve opened ; 5, pale and rhachilla appendage ; 6, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. GALAMACROSTIS MUTTONS, HACK. PLATE 483 ARISTIDA BIPART1TA. nun. t w PLATE 483. ARISTIDA BIPARTITA. Rupr. & Trin. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 558). Nat. Order Gramineae. PERENNIAL, light green to glaucous. Rhizome short, oblique with compact tufts of short barren shoots and culms, these erect or ascending, I to 2 feet long, simple, terete or compressed below, smooth, glabrous, rarely puberulous below the nodes, about 3-noded ; basal sheaths short, compressed, firm, persistent, whitish, the upper widened and loose in the upper part, at length open, smooth or bearded at the mouth ; blades very narrow, linear, acute, 1 to 4 inches by 1 line, rigid, curved, folded, more rarely flat, smooth below, scabrid above. PANICLE effuse, 5 to 6 inches by 3 to 5 inches, very lax ; rhachis straight or flexuous ; branches solitary, distant, spreading, the lower 3 to 4 inches long, 2- (rarely 3 to 4) partite close to the base, very scantily and remotely branched ; branchlets divaricate, 1 to 3 spiculate at the tips, filiform, straight or flexuous, scabrid ; lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS 3 to 4 lines long, sometimes purplish. (JLUMES subequal, linear-lanceolate, abruptly and shortly mucronate or the upper emarginate. Valve linear, not or obscurely beaked, as long as the glumes or slightly shorter, smooth or finely scaberulous above, purplish ; callus | line long ; awns continuous with the valve, subequal, divaricate, 4 lines long ; pale \ line long, shortly 2-nerved, lodicules up to \ line long, 3-nerved : anthers 1 to 2 lines long. Habitat: XATAL. Biggarsberg. ttehmann 7102: near Dundee, 4000-5000 feet alt.. IV. E. Green (Wood 7358). Fig 1, Spikelet; 2, glume; 3, valve ; 4, pistil and stamens; 5, pale; 6, a lodic-ule. All enlarged PLATE 484, AKISTIDA CONGESTA. Hoein & Schult. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 558). Nat. Order Grammeae. PKBENXIAL. tufted, light green or glaucous, glabrous. CULMS slender, rather wiry, erect or geniculately ascending, compressed below. ^ to 2 feet long, simple or branched from some of the lower nodes, 3 to 4-noded : sheaths tight, smooth ; blades usually very narrow, linear, acute, 1 to 6 inches by 1 line, rarely larger, usually folded or convolute, rigid, curved, rarelv flat, smooth below, scabrid to hispidulous above. PANICLE spike-like, often interrupted, with 1 to '2 shortly peduncled, more or less spreading lateral, pseudo-spikes, 2 to (> inches long : pedicels very short. SPIKELETS densely crowded, 3 to 4 lines, rarelv up to 5 lines long. GLUMES keeled, keels smooth or almost so, the lower lanceolate, gradually passing into a long rnucro, 3 lines long, the upper linear, emarginate, long mucronatc. 3.', to 5 lines long. Valve linear, produced into a short twisted beak, usually slightly shorter than the upper glume, minutely scaberulous above ; callus | line long ; awns jointed with the valves, but not disarticulating, diverging, fine, 5 to 7 lines long : pale not quite line long, nerveless or almost so : lodicules to line long. ."> to 6-nerved. Anthers f line long ; grain up to If line long, deeply grooved. Habitat : NATAL. Buchanan 1 24. Also in Cape Colony and Basutoland. Drawn from Buchanan's 124, kindly lent for the purpose by the Director of the Royal Gardens and Herbarium at Kew. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glumr ; 3, valve, front view ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 4B>. ARISTIDA CONCESTA PLATE 485, STIPA DREGEANA. sreuo STIPA, Linn. SPIKELETS 1 -flowered, narrow, paniculate ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes, not produced. GLUMES usually persistent, narrow, 1 to 3-nerved, muticous or mucronate. Valves convolute, cylindric or oblong-cylindric, 5 to 7- (rarely 3) nerved, rather rioid, tip gradually tapering, or minutely 2-lobed ; callus more or less bearded, usually pungent ; awn simple, continuous with or jointed on the valve, bent or geniculate, twisted below, plumose or nuked above the knee. Pale 2-keeled or 2-nerved, almost as long as the valve or much shorter. Lodicules usually 3, the posterior smaller or suppressed. Stamens 3, rarely fewer. Ovary glabrous ; styles distinct, short ; stigmas plumose. Grain slender, cylindric or oblong-cylindric, terete or subterete, sometimes grooved, tightly embraced by the hardened valve and the pale ; hilum linear, almost as long as the grain ; embryo rather small. PERENNIAL, rarely annual : leaves often convolute, rarely flat ; ligules mem- branous. PANICLE from spike-like to effuse. Numerous species, principally in the drier and warm regions of both hemispheres. PLATE 485. STIPA DREGEANA, Steud. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 572), Nat. Order Grarnineae. PERENNIAL, glabrous. CULMS fascicled from a short pra?morse rhizome, erect, 2 to 4 feet high, 3-noded, smooth, internodes enclosed or more or less exserted ; lowest sheaths much reduced, firm, scale-like, the following very tight, long, the uppermost sometimes tumid, slightly rough, striate ; ligules obtuse, erose, up to 2 lines long ; blades linear from a broad or slightly narrowed base, tapering to a very long fine point, up to 1 J foot to 3 to 5 lines, flat, rather firm, smooth below, slightly rough above, closely and very finely many-nerved. PANICLE erect or slightly nodding, oblong, contracted, rarely open and pyramidal, | to 1 foot long, branches fascicled or 3-2-nate, very unequal, the longest to 1 foot long, undivided to J of their length or more, filiform, smooth ; pedicels scabrid, the lateral shorter than the spikelets, the latter light green, 2J to 3 lines long. GLUMES subequal, 3-nerved, subhyaline above, glabrous, the lower lanceolate- acuminate, the upper lanceolate-oblong, acute or sub-acuminate. Valves oblong- cylindric, convolute, obscurely bi-lobed, 2 to 2| lines long, shortly hairy all over, 5-nerved ; callus minute, obtuse, minutely hairy ; awn not disarticulating, 5 to 6 lines long, scabrid, slightly twisted below, bent 1 to 2 lines above the base. Pale almost as long as the valve, obtuse, hairy on the back ; lodicules 3, oblong, obtuse, the posterior smaller. Anthers l line long, naked. Grain oblong, cylindric. U line long. Habitat : NATAL. Hict Vlei. in bush, 5000 feet alt., /iur/i'i/itm 239. Drawn from Buchanan's specimens, kindly lent for the purpose by the Director of the Royal Gardens and Herbarium at Kew. The above described species is the only one of the genus Stipa that has yet been found in Natal. Fig 1 , Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 486. SPOHOBOLUS FiMBRiATus. Xees. (Fl. Cap.. Vol. VII.. p. 585). Nat. Onler Gramineu-. PKHEXXIAL, densely tufted. CULMS usually geniculate, '2 to 3 feet long, smooth, glabrous, 2 to 4-noded ; sheaths glabrous except the sometimes ciliate or fimbriata margins, smooth, firm, the lowest pallid, more or less compressed and subcarinate ; ligule a ciliate rim ; blades linear, tapering to a long setaceous point, 5 to 10 inches by 1 to 2 lines, flat or folded with the margins rolled in. glabrous, rarely with long fine spreading hairs near the base, smooth or scaberulous. PAXICLE erect, subflexuous or nodding, 8 to 1'2 inches by 1 to 2 inches (when open) ; branches solitary, irregularly crowded, 1 to 3 inches long, flat, at length more or less spreading, filiform, repeatedly branched from the base, lower secondary branchlets up to 9 lines long, smooth or almost so ; lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS greyish-green, to 1 line long, crowded or rather lax. GLUMES unequal, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, the lower hyaline, equalling about % the length of the spikelet, the upper as long as the valve or slightlv longer. 1 -nerved ; valve ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 1 nerved. Stamens 3 ; anthers line long. Grain obovoid, truncate, quadrangular, very slightlv compressed, f line long : pericarp delicate. Habitat : XATAL. Xear Durban, below 500 feet alt.. Drege ; and without precise locality, G errant 602. As we had no specimen of this grass in the Herbarium the drawing was made from a specimen kindly lent from the collection of Dr. H. Bolus, Capetown. The specimen was gathered on a stony hillside near Graaff-Reinet in April. 1867. and i> Bolus 555. Fig 1, Spikelets; 2, Lower glume; 3, upper glume: 4, valve; 5, pale: 6, stamens : 7, lodicules and pistil. All enlarged. PLATE 486. PLATE 487. SPOROBOLUS PUNGENS. KTH- PLATE 487. SPOROBOLUS PUNGENS, Kunth. (Fl. Cap., Vol. YII., p. 587). Nat. Order Graminea?. PERENNIAL ; rhizome often long creeping, stoloniferous, stolons emitting fascicled or solitary ascending culms, these 2 to 12 inches long, glabrous, very many- noded, sheathed nearly all along, internodes alternately very short and long, hence the leaves appear opposite : culm-sheaths rather tight, slightly compressed, glabrous or sometimes ciliate along the margins and bearded at the mouth, smooth ; ligule a ciliate rim ; blades subulate-involute, often pungent, rarely flat towards the base, from J to 4 inches long, rigid, firm, closely and strongly nerved, glabrous. or scantily long-hairy above, margins scaberulous. PANICLE spike-like, cylindric, compact, rarely somewhat loosened, ^ to 3 inches long ; branches short, branched from the base, scaberulous ; pedicels very short. SPIKELETS light to dark olive-green, 1 to 1 line long. GLUMES lanceolate, acute or acuminate, keels acute, scaberulous above, the lower equalling ^ to 5 of the upper, the latter as long as the valve or slightly longer and like it 1 -nerved ; pale slightly shorter. Stamens 3 ; anthers f to 1 line long. Grain ellipsoid, line long, light brown, pericarp thin. Habitat : NATAL. At the mouth of the Umzimkulu River. Drege ; sand dunes around Durban Bay, Krauss 67. Drawn from Krauss's specimen, kindly lent for the purpose by the Director of tin- Royal Gardens and Herbarium at Ke\v. " A very variable littoral plant of most warm countries. The specimens from Bathurst Division and from Natal are rather different in habit from the Western, approaching the form common in the Mediterranean region, which originally understood under S. pungens" -. Fig 1, Lower plume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 488. SPOROBOLUS SUBTILIS, Kunth. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 588). Nat. Order Gram mete. PERENNIAL, densely ctespitose, sometimes stoloniferous, erect, 1 to 1J foot long, smooth, glabrous, about 4-noded, internodes enclosed or shortly exserted. LEAVES glabrous, smooth ; sheaths very tight, more or less bearded at the mouth ; ligule a minutely ciliolate rim ; blades very narrow, setaceously convolute, acute, 2 to 5 inches long, striate. PANICLE embraced at the base by the uppermost sheath, ovoicl to oblong, open, very lax, 2 to 4 inches long, much branched ; branches and branchlets capillary, with very long and tine hairs from the axils ; pedicels very variable in length (from ^ to l line long in the Natal, up to 5 lines long in the Madagascar specimens). SPIKELETS lanceolate, acute, f line long ; rhachilla produced into a fine bristlt- half as long to almost as long as the floret. GLUMES subequal, lanceolate in profile, acute, to g line long, ioiver 1, upjwr 1 to 3-nerved. Valve ovate-lanceolate in profile, f line long, 3-nerved, lateral nerves evanescent above the middle. Pale as long as the valve or very slightly longer ; keels very fine, percurrent or evanescent below the subciliolate tips. Anthers f to J line long. Grain oblong, f line by ^-! line, subterete, finely striate ; pericarp adnate to the seed, indistinct ; embryo not quite ! the length of the grain. NATAL. Grassy flats between Umlazi River and Durban Bay, Krauss, 212. Also in Madagascar. The Natal plant differs from the Madagascar specimens which I have seen (Hildebrandt 4906 ; Baron 672 and 4092) in the much shorter ramifications of the panicle. The presence of a bristle-like continuation of the rhachilla is unique in the genus ; as the structure of the spikelet is, however, otherwise essentially that of Sporobolus it does not seem expedient to separate this species from that genus (Dr. O. Stapf). Our drawing was made from a drawing made by Miss Smith at Kew, and kindly sent to us for the purpose by the Director. Fig 1, Plant with inflorescence, natural size ; 2, plant in leaf only, natural size ; 3, spikelets ; 4, lower glume ; 5, upper glume ; 6, valve and pale with termination of rhachis ; 7, valve ; 8, pale ; 9, lodicules, stamens and pistil. Except Figs 1 and 2, all enlarged, PLATE 488. PLATE 489. D1PLACHNE ELEUSINE, NE PLATE 489. DIPLACHNE ELEUSINK, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 591). Nat. Order Grammese. PERENNIAL, glabrous. CULMS tufted, I to 2 feet long, geniculately ascending, terete, smooth, simple or branched below, 3-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths rather tight and firm, smooth, the lower keeled ; ligules membranous, very short, truncate, denticulate, ciliate ; blades linear, tapering to a fine point, 4 to 9 inches, by 1 to 2 lines, more or less flaccid, scabrid on both sides or rather smooth below. PANICLE narrow, consisting of 2 to 8 erect, distant spikes or spike- like racemes ; rhachis angular, finely scaberulous or almost smooth ; branches 1 to 4 inches long, flexuous. SPIKELETS unilateral, imbricate or 2-seriate, subsessile, 2 to 3-lines long, 5 to 8 -flowered, light green. GLUMES lanceolate in profile, obtuse or subacute, l and l line long respec- tively, whitish, keel green. Valves oblong, very obtuse, entire, up to Tine long, tips broad, hyaline, side-nerves finely silky, evanescent below^the tips. Pales obtuse. Anthers not quite line long ; grain elliptic, flat, | to | line by line. Habitat : NATAL. Banks of Tugela River, 700 feet alt. Buchanan 207. Drawn from Buchanan's specimen, the only one in the Herbarium. VALVES 1 J line long, not \ line as quoted in the Flora Capensis. Fig 1, lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules; 6, spikelet. AH enlarged. fill PLATE 490. EKAGROSTIS HETEROMERA, Stapf (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 610). Nat. Order Gramineae. PERENNIAL. CULMS geniculate-ascending, stout, simple, over 2 feet louj. glabrous, smooth, 3-rioded, internodes (except the lowest) exserted ; sheaths quite glabrous except at the usually bearded mouth, smooth, more or less coarsely striate, the lower not compressed, often purplish ; ligule a dense fringe of minute hairs ; blades linear, tapering to a long, tine point, 6 to 8 inches, by l to '2 lines long, flat or more or less involute, rather soft, glabrous, smooth on the lower, scaberulous on the upper side, midrib rather stout below, primary side-nerves 4-5, prominent. PANICLE oblong, nodding, 10 to 12 inches long; axis angular, striate or sulcate, glabrous ; branches somewhat irregularly arranged, in false whorls or '2-4- nate or solitary, sub-erect, flexuous to flaccid, unequal, divided from near the base or undivided for 1 inch or more, capillary, scaberulous, the longest 4 to G inches long; branchlets somewhat distant, short, contracted, 3-1 spiculate, very fine; lateral pedicels very short. SPIKELETS linear, acute, 2 to 4 lines, by f to f line, olive-green, loosely 4 to 12-flowered ; rhachilla subpersistent, sparingly scaberulous. GLUMES very unequal, lower a minute scale or quite suppressed, rarelv over .', line long, upper lanceolate to oblong, subacute, % to I line long, hyaline, 1 -nerved. Valves obliquely oblong, obtuse, f to 1 line long, keel scabrid and prominent like the side nerves, rigid, almost straight ; pales equal to the valves, keels curved and scabrid ; anthers f to f line long. Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Drege, by the Umlazi River and near Maritz- burg ; Krauss, 43, by the Tugela River, 600 to 1,000 feet ; Buchanan, 241 ; 245a. Drawn from Buchanan's 241 ; 245a. Fig 1, upper glume ; 2, valve ; 3, pale ; 4, pistil, stamens and lodicules. AH enlarged. PLATE 490. ERAGROSTIS HETEROMERA, STA PLATE 491. TRIRAPHIS REHMANNI. HACK. TEIEAPHIS, R. Br. (partly). SPIKELETS 5 to 15-flowered, laterally compressed, pedicelled, panicled; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves. Florets perfect the uppermost gradually reduced. GLUMES subequal, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acuminate or truncate or minutely 2-toothed and anstulate, 1 -nerved, keeled, thin. Valves oblong 3-lobed thin, 3-nerved, 3-awned, the middle lobe more or less bifid, awned from the sinus' the side lobes shorter, entire, asymmetric, awned from the inner side, margins inflexed, nerves ciliate, particularly the lateral ; awns fine, scabrid, often longer than the valves ; callus slender, acute, bearded. Pales linear or linear-oblong, somewhat shorter than the valves. Lodicules 2, cuneate, delicate, minute.' Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous, styles distinct, slender; stigmas laterally' exserted', very slender, plumose. Grain tightly embraced by the scarcely changed valve and pale, linear, terete or obtusely triquetrous ; embryo short ; hilum basal, punctiform. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL ; blades narrow, linear ; ligule a ciliate membranous rim ; panicle contracted, spike-like, or open, much branched ; spikelets distinctly pedicelled. Species : 8 in Africa, 1 in Australia, in Natal 1 only. PLATE 491. TRIRAPHIS REHMANNI, Hack. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 651). Nat. Order Graminea?. PERENNIAL, compactly c?espitose, glabrous ; rhizome short, oblique. CULMS erect or geniculate, 2 feet long, very firm, terete, striate, smooth, about 3-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths tight, firm, smooth, striate, the basal reddish or purplish-brown, persistent, the lowest reduced to short acute bladeless scales ; blades linear, narrow, tapering to a setaceous point, usually tightly convolute, 4 to 8 inches, by 1 to l line (when expanded), firm, smooth, coarsely striate. PANICLE 2 to 12 inches long, contracted or open, and then 2 to 4 inches broad, erect or slightly nodding ; rhachis smooth, branches solitary or fascicled, closely or loosely branched from the base or almost so, smooth, filiform, straight or flexuous ; pedicels J to 1 \ line long. SPIKELETS subsecund, crowded, 4 to 8-flowered, 3 to 5 lines long; rhachilla glabrous. GLUMES linear-oblong, erose, minutely mucronate, the lower 1 to 2 lines the upper li to 21 lines long, often with a fine lateral nerve on one or both sides. Valves oblong (when expanded), not quite 2 lines long ; awns stiff, middle awn to U line long, side-awns up to 1 line long, or mere mucros ; pale glabrous or the flaps hairy, keels scaberulous ; anthers f line long ; gram linear, terete, 5 1: ie, by ^ line. H<it&t : NATAL. Near Dundee, 4000 feet, W. E. Green 95b (Wood 7452), March. Fig 1, Spikelet; 2, glume: 3, valve; 4, pale; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicule.. All enlart/ed. PLATE 49. PANICUM STAGNINUM, Koeuig. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII. , p. 394). Nat. Order Gramineae. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL. CULMS erect from a geniculate or prostrate base, terete or subterete, up to 6 feet high, in tall specimens to more than 3 lines thick below, often rooting from the lower nodes, sheathed all along or some of the nodes at length exserted, often branched in the lower part ; sheaths finely striate, smooth, terete or subcarinate above, quite glabrous, rarely pubescent at the lowest nodes ; ligule a fringe of rather long stiff hairs, or sometimes in the uppermost leaves ; blades linear from a scarcely narrowed usually not decurrent base, long-tapering to a fine point, to more than l foot by 2 to 7 lines, flat, rigid or flaccid, glabrous, light green or glaucous, smooth above, scabrid below, particularly in the upper part, margins cartilaginous, scabrid to spinulous. PANICLE erect or nodding, 4 to 10 inches long, secund ; axis slender, more or less flexuous, convex or flat on the back, usually hispidulous with scattered bristles, rarely glabrous except on the scabrid angles ; branches few to many, distant or rather crowded, alternate, suberect or nodding, 1 to 2 inches long, forming often stout dense 2-4-ranked simple secund sessile false spikes ; rhachis like the axis, but more slender ; pedicels 4-2-nate, extremely short, tips discoid. SPIKELETS crowded, ovate-oblong to lanceolate-ovate, 2-3 lines long, rarely less, pallid, hispid. GLUMES, lower ovate, thin, acuminate or mucronate, about half the length of the spikelet, 3 to sub-5-nerved ; upper oblong, thin, equalling the spikelet, concave, cordate-acuminate or produced into a short, scabrid compressed awn, 5-nerved or 7-nerved at the tips, pubescent between the hispidulous nerves. Florets, lower male or sometimes barren ; valve similar to the upper glume, but flat or depressed on the back, subhyalirie except the herbaceous sides, awn 2 to 12 lines long; pale oblong, keels scabrid. Anthers when present 1 line long ; perfect floret oblong to lanceolate-oblong, mucronate-acuminate, 1| to 2J lines Jong, excluding the scabrid mucro, straw-coloured, smooth, shining ; valve 5-nerved. Habitat: NATAL. Near Newcastle, 3000-4000 feet, March, IF. Sutherland (Wood 10,007). " Through Tropical Africa, from the Senegal to Abyssinia, in Madagascar and India." Drawn from the specimen collected by W. Sutherland, the only one in the Colonial Herbarium. Fig 1, A spikelet; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume: 4, lower valve ; 5, pale : C, upper valve ; 7, pale ; 8, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All ealun/'d. PLATE 492. 'PANICUM STAGNINUM, PLATE 493. VULPIA MYUROS, OMEL. VULPIA, Ginel. SPIKELETS laterally compressed after flowering, on short clavate ])edicels in usually more or less secund and spike- or raceme-like panicles ; rhachilla slender disarticulating above the glumes and between the fertile valves. Florets 5 to 7 long exserted from the glumes, perfect, except the reduced upper ones, or the lowest perfect and the rest reduced to empty valves. GLUMES very unequal, lower very minute or obsolete, or like the upper subulate to subulate-lanceolate, but much shorter, 1- (or the upper 3-) nerved. Valves subulate-lanceolate, passing into an awn, rounded on the back, faintly 5-nerved ; awn straight, often long"; callus small, obtusely glabrous. Pales 2-keeled, entire or minutely 2-toothed.' Lodicules 2, hyaline, unequally lobed. Stamens 1-3, filaments very short ; anthers usually enclosed in the floret during flowering or permanently. Ovary glabrous (in the South African species) or minutely hispid at the top ; stigmas sessile, plumose, permanently enclosed in the floret, or shortly exserted at the base. Grain linear', strongly compressed from the back, concave in front, more or less adhering to the pale or also to the valve ; embryo small ; hilum filiform, long. ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL, slender grasses ; blades linear, very narrow, usually convolute or involute, at least when dry ; panicles contracted, narrow, usually more or less secund, with short clavate pedicels. SPIKELETS subcylindric and acuminate when young, then opening out, laterally compressed and broader upwards; flowers often cleistogamous. Species about 20, mostly in the Mediterranean region and the adjacent countries. The two species found in South Africa have been intro- duced into many parts of the world. PLATE 493. VULPIA MYUROS, Gmel. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 724). Nat. Order Gramineae. ANNUAL, tufted. CULMS slender, geniculate, ascending or suberect, | to 1 foot high, glabrous, smooth, 2- (sometimes 3-) rioded, uppermost internode 2 to 6 inches long, usually wholly enclosed in the uppermost sheath ; sheaths (particularly the upper) rather loose, smooth, glabrous ; ligules very short, often obtusely auricled ; blades linear, tapering to a very acute point, 1 to 6 inches by J to 1 line, flat or in- volute when dry, or setaceous, flaccid to subrigid, finely and prominently few-nerved, puberulous or scabrid on the upper surface, otherwise glabrous and smooth. PANICLE spike-like, erect or nodding and flexuous, narrow, subsecund or secund or facing all sides, 2 to 10 inches long ; rhachis filiform, acutely triquetrous, like the branches scabrid along the angles or smooth below ; branches fascicled or 2-nate and very unequal, or solitary (lowest often very remote), racemose from the base or the upper reduced to a solitary spikelet, adpressed or lowest slightly nodding ; lateral pedicels about line long, smooth. SPIKELETS rather close or the lowest of the lower branches remote, 8J to 5 lines long (exclusive of the awns), loosely 3 to 6-flowered ; rhachilla joints up to f line long. GLUMES, lower reduced to a minute scale (particularly in the lateral spikelets, or like the upper subulate, but much shorter (up to f line long), nerveless or 1-nerved, upper l to 2j lines long, acute, setaceously acuminate, 1 -nerved. Valves linear-lanceolate, acuminate in profile, 2 to 3 lines long, faintly 5-neryed, scabrid, sometimes ciliate in the upper part ; awn 3 to 10 lines long, fine, scabrid. 1 ; anther \ to f line long. Grain l to 2 lines long. Habitat: NATAL. Ixopo, J. Schofidd, in Government Herbarium, 8938: Drawn from Schofield's specimens. Fig 1, Spikelet ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, valve ; 5, pale ; 6, pistil, ,1 and lodicule.s. All enlarged. BKIZA, Linn. SPIKELETS many flowered, laterally compressed, panicled ; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the valves ; florets hermaphrodite, the upper gradually reduced. Glumes scarious or firmly membranous, keeled or boat-shaped or saccate with the back rounded, persistent, 3- to sub-7-nerved, subequal. Valves close, firmly membranous with scarious margins or almost wholly scarious, keeled or boat-shaped or saccate with the back rounded, obtuse, acute, subacuminate or subaristate, 7-9-nerved, outer 3, or all the side-nerves spreading from a common base, rarely 5-nerved with the side-nerves distant at the base. Pales broad, shorter than the valves, 2 -keeled, keels often winged. Lodicules 2, obliquely ovate, hyaline, fleshy at the base. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; styles short, distinct : stigmas very slender, loosely plumose, laterally exserted. Grain tightly embraced by the hardened back of the valve and the pale, usually adherent to the latter, concavo-convex to plano-convex, usually dorsally compressed ; hilum basal, small, elliptic oblong or linear ; embryo small. ANNUAL OR PKKENNIAI, : blades flat and rather broad or convolute and narrow, ligules hyaline. Panicle effuse with capillary branchlets and pedicels and nodding spikelets, sometimes reduced to a raceme or straight, contracted or almost spiciform. Species about 11 ; four mainly in the Mediterranean region, of which two have been introduced into various temperate countries, one all over temperate Europe and Asia, the rest in South America. PLATE 494. BRIZA MINOR, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 709). Nat. Order Gramineax ANNUAL, glabrous. CULMS tufted, geniculate, J to 2 feet long, smooth or some- what rough above, 2 to 3-noded ; internodes exserted, at least ultimately ; sheaths loose, smooth, the lower thin, striate ; ligules oblong, 2-3 lines long ; blades linear to lanceolate-linear, acute, 2 to 8 inches, by 1 to 4 lines, flat, flaccid, more or less scabrid or almost smooth. PANICLE broadly obovate, 2 to 4 inches long and almost as broad, erect, lax, rather divaricate ; rhachis slender, straight ; branches geminate, distantly and repeatedly tri- or di-chotomously branched, scabrid, filiform to capillary, the lowest up to 3 inches long ; pedicels G-2 lines long, finely capillary, smooth above. SPIKELETS triangular to ovate, very obtuse, often broader than long, 1 to 2 lines long, 4 to 7 -flowered, nodding, green, rarely purplish below. GLUMES thinly scarious, horizontally spreading, subequal, obtuse or subacute, 3-nerved, 1 to 1^ line long. Valves very close, very broadly cordate-ovate, very obtuse with the tips often inflexed, very gibbous below, 1 to lj line long, glabrous, 7-nerved, the side-nerves joining at the base, hyaline margins very broad ; pales elliptic, scarcely f line long, finely winged, wings very minutely ciliolate ; lodicules up to J line long ; anthers almost J line long in the lower florets, much smaller in the upper ; grain shortly oblong, truncate, convexo-concave or subtriquetrous, broadly grooved, f line long. Mediterranean regions ; introduced into many parts of the world. Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Wood, in Government Herbarium, 10,450. Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve iu profile ; 4, same, front view ; 5, pale ; 6, pistil, stamens and loclicules. All enlarged. PLATE 494. PLATE 495. LOLIUM MULTIFLORUM. LAM. PLATE 496. LOLIUM MULTIFLORUM, Lain. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 739). Xat. Order Gramineaj. ANNUAL. CULMS fascicled, geniculate ascending or erect, l to 3 feet long, glabrous, smooth or slightly rough in the upper part, 4-5-noded, internodes at length more or less exserted, simple or branched below. LEAVES glabrous ; sheaths striate, smooth, lower sometimes purplish ; ligule very short, truncate from an auric-led base ; blades linear, long tapering to a very slender point, 4 to 8 inches, by 1 to 2J lines, flat, somewhat rigid, scabrid on the upper side and along the margins ; spikes erect, ,| to I foot long, of numerous (12 to 30) spikelets ; axis rather slender, smooth except at the scabrid margins : inter- nodes (except the lowest) distinctly shorter than the spikelets. SPIKKLETS strongly compressed from the side, elliptic-oblong, 6 to 8 lines Jong, obliquely erect, 9 to 11 flowered, uppermost floret long exserted from the glume. GLUMES, upper narrow, oblong, subobtuse, somewhat rounded on the back, equalling the contiguous floret or nearly so, strongly 7 -nerved. Valves awned or muticous, oblong, 2 to 3 lines long, subherbaceous-chartaceous, light green or tinged with purple above, 5 -nerved, smooth ; awn (when present) straight, very fine. 2 to 4 lines long, close to the short hyaline minutely 2-toothed tip ; keels of pales green, crested, scabrid ; anthers 14 to 2 lines long ; grain linear-oblong, semiterete. 1 line long, deeplv channelled in front, adhering to valve and pale. Habitat: NATAL. Polela, M. S. Evans, October, 1905 ; Government Herbarium. 10,772 ; also without precise locality, mixed with Buchanans No. 50, in Govern- ment Herbarium, No. 10,773. Also in Cape Colon}-. A native of Central Europe and the Mediterranean countries. Introduced in Natal and Cape Colony. Fig 1, A spikelet; 2, upper glume : 3, valve : 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 496. ANDBOPOGON TRAXSVAALEXSIS, Stapf. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 363). Xat. Order Grratnioete. PERENNIAL, tufted. CULMS erect, subgeniculate, simple, slender, over :> feet long, terete, glabrous, 5-noded below the panicle ; sheaths tight, glabrous, the loircr firm, short, persistent, keeled above, fugaciously and adpressedly hairy, the ///t}tet' much shorter than the internodes ; ligules membranous, rounded, up to 1 line long ; blades narrow, linear, tapering to a long setaceous point, up to 1 foot, by 1 line. flat or convolute above, rigid, glabrous, scabrid in the upper part. PANICLE consisting of about 12 erect 2-3-nate simple, long filiform branches from long narrow spathiform sheaths bearing filiform or setaceous blades ; spathes finely linear, acute, 2 to 2J inches long, glabrous, reddish ; common peduncles filiform. exserted near the tip of the spathe, the exserted part flexnous. -_ to 1 inch long. pubescent and bearded with long tubercle-based hairs, dark purple. Racemes con- tiguous, (5 to 8 lines long, one sessile, the other on a fugaciously hairy purple peduncle, joints filiform, obliquely truncate, 1 line long, dark purple, densely ciliate with rigid white hairs ; pedicel very similar, usually produced into a fine subulate membranous appendage, facing the upper glume. SPIKELETS, sessile ones 2 to 4 in each raceme, perfect with the exception of the lowest, which is male like the pedicelled : perfect spikelets linear-oblong, 2 lines long. purple, hairy, callus acute, bearded, up to J line long. GLUMES, lower subchartaceous, truncate, dorsally flattened, sometimes shallowly pitted, intracarinal nerves 5, prominent above almost throughout or evanescent below. hairs scattered all over or mainly near upper margins ; upper obtuse, 3-nerved, hairy above ; loicer valve almost equalling the glumes, linear, obtuse, sub-2-nerved, scantily ciliate ; upper shortly 2-lobed, ciliate, 3-nerved near the base, awn about 1 inch long, slender, pubescent and kneed below the middle ; pale ; male spikelets narrowly lanceolate, up to 3-3 lines long, muticous, hairy or lowest glabrous, 7-9-nerved, keels scantily and rigidly ciliate above ; upper acute, hairy or glabrous, long ciliate : valves almost equalling the glumes, ciliate, lower 3, upper 1 -nerved. Intermediate between A. Dregeanus and A. filipcndulus. Habitat : NATAL. Dundee, IT. K. Crfni 88, March, 1899, 4000-5000 feet alt. (Government Herbarium 8107) ; same locality, Green 50, December. 1898 (Govern- ment Herbarium 8120). Fig 1, Spikelets. Sessile spikele ts 2, Lower glume : 3, upper glume : 4, lower valve ; 5. pale ; 6, ovary and Indicules ; 7, upper valve with base of awn. Pedicelled spikelets 8. Lower glume : 9, upper glume : 10, lower valve : 1 1, upper valve. All en Iu rt/eJ. PLATE 496. ANDROPOGON TRANSVAALENSIS. STAPF- PLATE 497. AGROSTIS SUAVIS, STAPF. PLATE 497. AGROSTIS SUAVIS, Stapf. (Kew Bulletin, 1908, ined). Nat. Order Graminerc. PERENNIAL, laxly cajspitose, innovation shoots extravaginal, suddenly ascending or stoloniferous. CULMS erect about 2 feet long to base of panicle, 3 to 5-noded, glabrous, simple, internodes exserted, produced before flowering to 3 to 5 inches beyond the mouth of the sheath. Sheaths very lax above, glabrous, smooth, the lowest purple, ligules hyaline, oblong, 2| lines long ; blades narrow-linear, shortly acute, plaited in dried specimens, up to 6 inches long (upper ones 14 to 18 lines long), spreading to 1 line wide, very green, glabrous, scaberulous towards the apex, very narrowly sulcate on the face to near the middh between the primary nerves, primary nerves" on each side usually 4. PANICLE divaricate, lax, obovate or oblong, more than 1 1 inches long, 6 to 8 inches wide, lower branches semiverticillate, 4-5-nate, upper 2-nate, mostly undivided for 10 to 14 lines (some for ~1\ inches) then twice or three times or four times divided into branchlets, the longer 4| inches long, filiform, smooth below, scaberulous above, pedicels capillary, terminal up to 9 lines long, lateral ones \\ line long. SPIKELETS 2 to 2 lines long, straw often suffused with purple. Rhachilla reduced to a fascicle of hairs scarcelv line long. GLUMES equal, lanceolate, acute, 1 -nerved, scarious. Valves seen from the side narrowly lanceolate, ovate lanceolate when expanded, l line long, shortly bifid, 5-nerved, lateral nerves excurrent in mucros, laxly clothed with fine hairs on the back, awn setiform, straight, inserted a little below the middle ; pales hyaline, 2-nerved, truncate, a little shorter than the valves, glabrous. Anthers not seen, grain linear- oblong. | line long. Habitat : NATAL. Van Reenen, 5500 feet alt., January, Wood 8913. Dr. Stapf says of this grass : " Closely related to A. eriantha, Hack., but dis- tinguished by the divaricate effuse panicle, distant from the top of the leaf, with 4-5-nate semiverticillate branches." He also says : " This differs from A. eriantha, Hack., a native of the Transvaal, solely in the form of the panicle. Mature specimens of A. eriantha. communicated by Messrs. Sutton, have the same narrow contracted panicle as Schlechter's younger ' flow ering type samples, and the branches of their panicles are throughout'geminate. On the other hand, all of Wood's specimens at Kew (4 sheets) exhibit the form described above." Fig 1, Floret ; 2, glume ; 3, valve, inner view; 4, same in profile ; 5, pale; 6, pistil and lodicules. A/I enlarged. PLATE 498. PAMCUM CAPILLARE, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 407). Nat. Order Graminea?. AXXUAL. CULMS fascicled, erect, or ascending, 1 to 2 feet high, robust, about 5-noded with flowering branches from some or most of the nodes, sheathed all alonf. glabrous or hairy below the panicle or nodes. LEAVES more or less (often very copiously) hirsute or villous, rarely subglabrous ; sheaths lax ; ligules membranous up to line long, ciliate ; blades linear to linear- lanceolate, long tapering to a fine point, subrigid to flaccid, margins scabrid. PANICLE often very large, decompound, lax, contracted, then opening out from the top downwards, up to 1 foot or more by f foot ; rhachis angular, often sparse! v hairy, smooth below, scabrid above ; branches solitary, subopposite or 3-natc. or irregularly approximate, filiform, angular, scabrid, undivided for | to 1 inch from the base, then repeatedly and very laxly divided, the longest up to 1 foot long : branchlets long, finely filiform to capillary at length divaricate, scabrid ; pedkvls very unequal, from J line to more than inch long, capillary, very scabrid, tips subelavate. SPIKELKTS oblong to lanceolate -oblong, acuminate, from less than 1 to 1| line long, greenish or purplish, glabrous. GLUMES, lower broadly ovate, acute, equalling about half of the spikelet. 3 to sub-o-nerved ; upper oblong, acuminate, from less than 1 to 1^ line lonir. .">- to 7 -nerved ; lower floret reduced to the valve, which very much resembles the upper glume. Perfect floret oblong, subacute, f to | line long, very smooth, shining, yellowish ; valve faintly 7 -nerved ; anthers line long. A native of North America, introduced elsewhere. Habitat : NATAL. Near Maritzburg, St. George ( Wood 8880), December 1898. Fig 1, Spikelet; 2, lower glume; 3, upper glume; 4, lower salve; 5, upper valve ; 6, pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. PLATE 498 PANICUM CAPILLARE. LINN. PLATE 499. ANDROPOGON SCHLECHTERI, HACKEL. PLATE 499. ANDROPOGON SCHLECHTERI, Hackel. (Bull., Herb., Boissier, No. 9, 1906). Nat. Order Gramineae. PERENNIAL, innovation shoots intravaginal. CULMS erect, slender, about 12 inches high, subcompressed, 3 to 4-noded, branching from the 2 or 3 upper nodes, branches solitary or in pairs, very slender, lower elongate, upper short, all floriferous! Sheaths much shorter than the internodes of the culm, subcompressed, rather lax and glabrous at the nodes, the upper or two upper spathiform, 9 to 14 lines long, leafless, becoming rufous, the lower 6 or 8 densely crowded at the base of the culm, equitant below, above flabellate, subcompressed, glabrous, rigid, becoming fuscous with ae ; ligule very short, membranaceous, arcuate ; blade linear from an equal base, acute, plane or those of the innovation shoots subconvolute, the lowest elongate (to 8 inches long), the upper much shorter, all erect, rigid, green or becoming bluish purple, the basal pilose above, the others glabrous, finely nerved. Racemes solitary at the ends of the culms and branches, the base of the slender glabrous peduncle included in the sheath, subtended by and often overtopping (rarely shorter than) the spathe, erect, 5 to 9 lines long, l to 2 lines broad, densely flowered ; rhachilla joints straight, more than twice shorter than the spikelets, slender, glabrous, subcupulate at apex. Sessile spikelets linear-lanceolate, 2 to 2J line long, turning violet blue, glabrous. Lower glume chartaceous-membranaceous, linear-lanceolate, acute, subentire or minutely In-denticulate, margins inflexed, 2-nerved, 2-keeled, smooth, plane ; callus very short, obtuse, glabrous ; upper glume subequalling the lower, lanceolate, acuminate, mu.cronul.ite 1 -nerved, keeled, glabrous. Lower valve a little shorter than lower glume, linear-oblong, obtuse or acute, hyaline, nerveless, glabrous ; upper valve a quarter shorter than the upper glume, linear-lanceolate, acute, muticous, hyaline, nerveless, glabrous ; pale 0. Lodicules cuneate. Anthers very minute without pollen. Stigma shortly plumose. Pedicelled spikelet male, pedicel shorter than the joint, lanceolate, 2-2| lines long, glabrous. Lower glume lanceolate, acute, 9-nerved, upper glume equalling the lower, acuminate, o-nerved ; lower and upper valves subequalling the lower glume, lanceolate, acute, 1 -nerved, hyaline ; anthers 1 line long. Habitat : XATAL. In damp places, Clairmont, 20 feet alt, Schlechter 3143 ; Krantzkloof, Schlechter 3209 ; Clairmont, 20 feet alt., Wood 8543, September. Fig 1, Raceme. Sessile spikelet 2, Lower glume; 3, upper glume; 4, lower valve; 5, upper valve; 6, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Pedicelled spikelet7, Lower glume; 8, upper glume ; 9, lower valve ; 10, upper valve ; 1 1, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged, PLATE 500. ISCH.EMUM FRANKS^;, J. M. Wood. (Kew Bulletin, 1908, ined.) Xat. Order Graminea;. Compactly ctpspitose, intravaginal innovation shoots and flowering culms closelv congested, covered at the base after fires with the old persistent hardened sheaths. CULMS slender, a, Thb. Microchloa altera, Stapf., var. Nelsoni, Stapf. caft'ra, Nets. Olyra latifolia, L. ... Panicum arrcctum, Hack. capillare, L. ., chusqueoides, Hack. ., Crus-galli, L. ,, curvatum, L. hymeniochilum, Nees, var. glaudulosum, Nees. miliare, Lam. ., perlaxum, Stapf. pyramidale, Lam. stagninum, Koen. Pennisetum typhoideurn, Rich. Perotis latifolia, Ait. Phalaris arundinacea, L. minor, Ketz. Poa annua, L. - binata, Nees. . . ... ... trivialis, L. ... Pogonarthi'ia falcata. Keiulle ... 418 417 414 428 413 419 425 490 423 420 429 415 416 427 421 456 457 451 434 481 500 445 442 495 463 450 432 431 464 471 498 478 473 475 476 474 477 472 492 480 403 449 448 455 454 453 409 Potamophila prehensile*, Btli. ... ... ... 444 Setaria aurea, A. Br. ... ... .., 479 Sporobolus CbQtrifngus, Xees. ... ... ... ... 405 festivas, Hochst., var. stuppeui*, Stapf. ... ... ... 405 fimbriatus, Nees. ... ... ... ... ... 435 indicus. R. Br. ... ... ... ... ... 408 pungens, Ktli. ... ... ... ... ... 437 Rehmanni, Hack. ... ... ... ... ... 407 subtilis, Kth. ... ... ... ... ... 488 Stiburus ftlopecuroideft, Stapf. ... ... ... ... 452 Stipa Dregeana, Steud. ... ... ... ... ... 485 Tragus racemosus. All. ... ... ... ... 404 Triraphis Rehmanni, Hack. ... ... ... ... ... 491 Vulpia Myuros, Gmel. ... ... ... ... 493 NOTES. So far as at present known to us, the whole of the grasses of the Colony are figured and described in Volumes 3 and 5 of this work, with the sole exception of Arundinaria tesselata, Munro ; of this species we have culms and leaves, but no inflorescence, and wo have not been able to obtain it. Two new species are described, viz. : Agrostis suavis, Stapf.. and Ischsemum Franksa-, Wood. Eragrostis Lehmanniana, Nees., ha< been credited to Natal by mistake, not having been collected in the Colony so far as at present known. The following species are described in the Flora Capensis, with the exception of Calamagrostis Huttonse, Hack., but Natal is not credited with them. Specimens of tin- whole of them, collected in the Colony, are in the Colonial Herbarium, and, with the exception of Bromus commutatus, Sc-hrad., are figured in this work : Andropogon Ruprechtii, Hack. ... ... ... South Africa. trausvaalc-nsis, Stapf. ,, Aristida ivquiglumis, Hack. ... ,, angustata, Stapf. ... .. vebtita, Thb. ... Briza minor, L. ... ... ... Introduced. Bromus commutatus, Schrad. ... ... ., maxiinus, Desf. ... ... Calamagrostis Huttona;, Hack. ... ... South Africa. Digitaria monodactyla, Stapf. ... setifolia, Stapf. ... Diplachne fusca, Beauv. ... Introduced. Eragrostis Atherstonei, Staj)f. ... ... South Africa. Holcus lanatus. L. ... , Lolium multiflorum, Lam. ... Introduced. Panicum laevifolium, Hack. ... ... South Africa. Ecklonii, Nees. ... ... ... ; , capillare, L. ... ... ... ... Introduced. Phalaris minor, Betz. ... ... ... Setaria perennis, Hack. ... ... South Africa. Triraphia Rehraanni, Hack. ., Vulpia Myuros, Gmel. Introduced. Rottba-llia hordeoides, Munro, MSS. in Harvey's Genera of South African Plant- is Urelytrum squarrosum, Hack., in Volume 2, Plate 110 of this work. Panicum colonum, L., in '' Handbook to the Flora of Natal," is a variety of Panicum Crus-galli, L., which is figured in Volume ,5 of same work. Plate 473. Panicum gossvpinum, A. Rich, in the above-named Handbook, is P. serratum, Spreng, figured in Volume o of same work, Plate 148.