242 BR. M. T. MASTERS OK SOUTH-APRICAK 11ESTTACE.T:. 



sequalibus, riaviculari-oblongis, acutissimis, rigidis, ovarium trigouum 

 velantibus. Stigmata 3, revoluta, villosa. 



The authentic specimen in the herbarium of Linnseus, and the 

 comparison of it with the plant named by Thunberg E.juncea, 

 in Dr. Sender's herbarium, and also with specimens to which 

 Nees gave the name E, membranacea^ leave no doubt as to the 

 identity oi JE.jimcea, concerning which so much confusion exists 

 in books and in herbaria. Tliis confusion seems to be attributable 

 to JNTees von Esenbeck, who under the head of Bestio jimcetis, 

 * Linnsea/ v. p. 658, describes a plant received from Thunberg, in 

 AVilldenow^'s herbarium, but which, to quote Nees's own words, 

 '^sane per se quidem insufficiens maximeque imperfectum, non 

 nisi culmi apicem vix quinque poUicum longitudine decerptum 

 exhibens." Comparing this fragment with others that he thought 

 belonged to the same species, but in support of which opinion he 

 offers no evidence, he aflSrms E.juncea^ Linn., to be different from 

 Bestio thyrsifer^ Rottboell, even though Thunberg himself had 

 recognized the identity of the two plants, Nees*s words are, 

 relating to Thunberg's imperfect specimen, *^quod tamen cimi 

 aliis speciebus perfectioribua collatum, diversam esse banc speciem 

 tum a reliquis omnibus, quse ad haec tempora innotuere, turn 

 maxime a Bestione tTiyrsifero Eottboellii, a Thunbergio ad Me- 

 giam suam citato, probat," 



Judging from the description given by Nees, the "species 

 perfectiorea " to which he alludes belong to that now called E. 



propinqua, 



Electa Jtmcea, as here understood, differs from E. Jisttilosa, 

 Kunth, in its solid stems, and from E. propinqua^ to which it is 

 very closely allied, especially in the male plants, in its acute, not 

 obtuse glumes. Eottboll describes his plant as having 2 styles ; 

 but little stress can be laid on this point, as the number of styles 

 is variable even on the same plant, as I have found by experience. 



5. E. PROPiNauA, Kunth, Enum. iii. p. 473; Steud. Syn, ii. p. 261. 



Restio 



Restio erectiis 



Nees ab Esenb. Linniea, v. G55 {excL syn.), vix Thunb.—ElegiB. th} rsi- 



fera, Persoon, Syn. ii. 607, excLsyn. — Restio thyrsifer. Lam. Ill- ^^'^' 



f. 3, nee RottboelL—E, Kraussii, Hochstetter, Flora,ll845, p. 340, 



adnot. 

 Var. equisetacca, Culmis ad vaginas subverticillatim ramulosis, ra- 



miiHs erectis. 

 Uab. Pr. B. Sp. Ex. sp. s. J, Burchell, 168 !, 574 !, 8067 ! 5 Muisen- 



berg, ZeyAer, 4331 ! ; Br. Thorn, 892!, 904!, 1032!; Dr^ge, 103!, 



367!, 1638!, 1647! 



1 



'A 



