BR. M, T. MASTERS OX SOUTU-AFRTCAK RESTTACE.T!. 237 



2 , Eckl ei Zeyh. 51.8!; Burchell, 19m ! 



Rhizoma repens, crassitie pennse anserinse, squamis ovatis, striatis, fus- 

 CIS, coriaceis, ad margines tenuioribus dense vestitum. Culmi erecti, 

 strictissiiui, bipedales et ultra, crassitie pennae gallinacejE, teretes, fis- 

 tulosi, siinplices vel versus medium dichotome ramosi, ramique erecti 

 virgati,elongati, compressiusculi, olivacei, purpureo maculati. VaginiB 

 cuZmecE pollicares et ultra, arete convolutae, coriaceae, fuscse, striata?, ad 

 margines membranaceae, superne subulato-mucronatse. Spiculce mas- 

 culae numerosae, subglobosa?, compressiusculae (?), sing. 2-3 lin. longa?, 

 1-2 lin. latae, in cymam corapositam paniculiformem terminalem 

 ^^ggr^g^tse, sessiles v. pedieellatse, pedicellis tenuibus. Spathce 3-4, 

 magnae, ellipticse, acutatse, coriaceae, ferruginese, nitentes, imprimis 

 cymae ramulos omnino velantes, demum deciduae. Braciea arete im- 

 bricatse, oblongae, longe acuminatse, subcoriaceae, ferrugiueae, ad mar- 

 gines utrinque pallidae, membranaceae, jlores ovatos arcuatos triplo 

 superantes. Perianthium biseriale, 6-glume, glumis membranaceis, 

 ovatis, apiculatis, externis ferrugineis, interriis pallidioribus, minoribus ; 

 Filamenta pallida. Antherm demum exsertae, oblongae, apiculata?, dorso 

 flavidae. — Plantar femineas culmus vaginceque ut in mare. Spiculce soli- 

 tariae vel geminse, sessiles vel pedicellatae, sing, ovatse, oblongae, 1-1^ 

 poll, longae, 5-6 lin. latse, basi spatha aperta vaginiformi ipsas subae- 

 quante suffultae, 2-3-florae?, flore unico maturescente. Bractece im- 

 primis arete imbricatae, concavae, oblongae, acuminato-aristatae,coriacea\ 

 rigidae ; bractea terminalis sterilis arete convoluta, stipiti brevi impo- 

 sita. Perianthium sexglume, glumis biserialibus aequalibus, oblongo- 

 obtusis, membranaceis, fuscis, /rwc/wm oblongum, compressum nigre- 

 scentem, laevem, unilocularem, stipitulatum aequantibus eoque arete 

 appressis. Semen unicum, pendulum, testa raembrauacea. Flores 

 juveniles nondum vidi. 



Nees von Esenbeck labelled this plant in Dr. Bonder's herba- 

 barium Mesanihus Hicinus, but I am not aware that lie ever 

 published the name or described the species. The great simi- 

 larity in form and colour to the smaller seeds of Ricinus com- 

 munis no doubt led Nees to employ this designation. The male 

 plant, described by Kxinth as ThamnocJiortus scirpoides, does not 



differ from Nees's plant. 



3. C. SIMPLEX, Kunth,Enum. iii. p. 448. — Culmis 1-2-pedalibus, sim- 

 plicibus vel parce dichotome ramosis, fistulosis, teretibus v. compressis, 

 strictis, siccitate longitudinaliter striatis; vaginis arctis acuto-mucro- 

 natis, longitudinaliter striatis ; panicula mascula oblonga, subconferta, 

 spiculis ovato-ellipticis ; bracteis late ovatis, acuminato-subulatis ; 

 glumis oblongis, obtusiuscuHs : spiculis femineis in apice culmi 3-4, 

 sessilibus, ellipticis, singuhs spatha vaginiformi spiculam superante 

 wiffultis; bracteis ovato-oblongis, acuto-mucronatis, exterioribus gra- 



