222 DR. M. T, MASTERS ON" SOUTH-APRICAN RESTIACE.E. 



2 , Albany, Williamson !, Kastalshy ! ; Drege, 5 !, 167 b ! ; Echh, 568 !, 



166 ! ; Dr, Thom^ sine numero ! 

 cf et 2, Burchell, 405 I 



A -widely distributed and variable species. Two special forms 

 can in general be readily recognized, the one with elliptic some- 

 what obtuse bracts scarcely exceeding the flowers, the other 

 with acute or acuminate bracts equal to, or generally longer than, 

 the flowers ; this latter is perhaps the Eestio fruticostis of Thun- 

 berg — a point which, in the absence of Thunberg's specimens, I 

 am not able to determine for certain. The two forms, however, 

 are connected by so many intermediate ones, that it seems un- 

 desirable to make two species. 



Nees's JRestio ramijloriis, as I find from a specimen so named by 

 Nees himself, is nothing but a form of this species in which the 

 flowers are replaced by minute tufts of scales. Kunth also refers 

 to this plant (which in the specimens he examined had male 

 flowers), and considered it merely a form of Calopsis pani- 

 culata. 



The male plant of this species is preserved in Linnseus s 

 herbarium under the name of " Sestio paniculatusy 



2. L. BuRCHELLTi, sp. n. Culmis ramosis dimorpliis, sterilibus brevi- 

 oribus; vaginis arctis, subulato-mucronatis vel in ramis fertilibus ans- 

 tatis ; spiculis masculis subpoUiearibus, oblongis, in spicam terminalem 

 dispositis^bracteis 5-fariamimbricatis, demum laxe patentibus oblongo- 

 lanceolatis, flores superantibus ; gluniis omnibus glabris ; spiculis fe- 

 mineis conformibus, plurifloris ; glumis oblongis obtusis, internis 3, 

 quam extemis parum longioribus ; ovario oblongo trigone, stigmatibus 

 3 villosis superato. 



Hab. Pr.B.Sp.,ex.sp.s. J et $, BMrc^eZ/, 7185]! ; J, Bwrc/zeZZ, 6101 !, 

 7146! 



Culmus, ut videtur, bi- tripedahs, teres, ereetus, crassitie pennpegallinacese, 

 dichotome ratnosus; rami fertiles erecti, elongati, teretes, oUvacei, albo 

 tuberculati ; rami steriles conformes, breviores, tenuiores, arcuati. \ «- 

 gince culmece laxiuscule convolutai, subpollicares, elliptic^, coriacea?, 

 striatse, superne(ad margines) tenuiores, sub apice obtuso subulato-mu- 

 mucronatfe. VagincB r amor umfert ilium conformes, minores, mucroni- 

 bus gracilioribus magis minusve tortis. Vagin<B ramulorum sterihuni 

 parvse, 2-3 lin. latse, valide subulate- vel foliaceo-mucronatse. S/?i- 

 cul<B masculcB QQ , in paniculam simplicem terminalem approximata;, sm- 

 gulae poUicares, oblongse, erectse, pluriflorse; basi spatha bracteiformi 

 aristata obtectae. BractecB arete 5-fariam dispositse, demum laxiuscule 

 patentes, oblongo-lanceolatae, coriacese; fuscse, sub apice tenuiore mu- 

 cronulatse, flores oblongos superantes. Glumce externa^ oblongae, ngi- 

 diusculae, ferrugineaj, purpureo maculatse ; laterales naviculari-con- 

 duplicatse, villoso-carinataj ; intermedia planiuscula; glum^i internes 



