DK. M. T. MASTERS ON SOUTII-AFBICAK BESTIACE^E. 235 



Cuhni erecti, 5-12-pe(lales ct ultra, teretes, crassitie pennae cygne^c, 

 fistulosij subfasciculatim ramosissirni, rami raraulique conipressi, se- 

 miteretes, olivacei, impresso punctulati. Vagince culmece 2-3-polli- 

 cares, arete convolutse, coriacea^, striata^, fusca?, acuminato-mucronata;, 

 ad margines tenuiores concolores. Vagince rameales conformes, magnl- 

 tudine miuores, in aristam termlnalem, tenuem, longiusculam desinentes. 

 Panicula mascula terminaiis, erecta.oblonga, 2-6-poll. longa, magis mi- 

 nusve conferta, ramosissima ; rami maximi basi spathis vaginiformi- 

 bus, apertis, ipsos sequantibus tandem deeiduis suffulti; ramuli graciles, 

 spieulas sequantes vel eis breviores, basi spathellis oblongis, membra - 

 naceis, sub apice demura bilobato longe acuminatis. . Spicules ob- 

 longse, obtusa; vel acutiuscul^e, 3-4 lin. longae, Bractece undique 

 arete imbricatae, ovato-oblongsc, aemninato-mueronata;, vel submu- 

 ticse, castanea^ v. ferruginese, margine apiceque liyalino-albida?, flores 

 stipitulatos oblongo-ovatos vix superantes. Perianthium biseriale, 

 sex-glume, glumis insequalibus oblongo-obtusiS; ferrugineis, externis 

 brevioribus, lateralibus naviculari-conduplicatis, carinatis, carina glabra, 

 intermedia antica planiuscula, interyiis membranaceis, hyalinis. An* 

 therw oblongre, muticse, dorso ferruginea?. Spicidce feminece nunc in 

 apice ramorum solitarise, nunc in apice culmi 2-3, sessiles, 1-2-poll. 

 longse, oblongo-subclavata^, basi attenuate, spatha apcrta, vaginiformi, 

 brevi, persistente suffulta?, 2~5-flora;. Bractece arete trifariam im- 

 bricatae, oblongo-ovatse, acuminata^, cymbiforraes, coriacea;, fuscae, 

 margine hyalino-merabranaceae, nitida;, exteriores gradatim breviores, 

 mediae 2-5 fertiles, summee steriles, terminalis convoluta. Flores 

 4-5 stipitulati, quorum 2-3perfecti, ca^tcri abortivi. Perianthium basi 

 tubulosum, eupuliforme, superne in lacinias vel glumas 6 divisum, 

 glumis 3 externis, 3 intemis, suba^qualibus, oblongis, obtusis, hyalinis, 

 fructui arete appressis vel agglutinatis, eoque vix brevioribus, basi, 

 demum, inter se nee non a stipitc disjunctis ita ut tubus periantliii 

 evanescit. Ovarium ovatum compressum, l-loculare (adjecto altero 

 loculo minore vacuo?, Beauv.), superne disco epigyno annulari carnoso 

 notatum. Styli duo distiucti, longiusculi, liguliforraes, intus villoso 

 stigmatosi. JPructus oblongo-ovatus, altero latere planus v. concavus, 

 altero convexus, osseus, olivaceus vel nigrescens, la^vis, l-lociilaris. 



1- 



spermus 



The male plant of this species was first described by' Eottboell, 

 under the name of Eestio virgatus. Many years after, Desvaux 

 and De Beauvois described and figured tlie female plant under 

 the name of O. cephalotcs. There can now be no doubt that the 

 two plants here referred to form the male and female of one 

 species ; the numerous specimens of both sexes from various col- 

 lectors, often collected together, amply show this. At first sight 

 it Would be easy^ to distinguish at least two well-marked varieties 



(species ?), the one with a compact male inflorescence and sharply 



