AGRICULTURAL HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SORGHUM. 15 



the United States. Eecent importations from British South Africa, 



principally from this colony and Natal, reveal the presence of a great 



number of similar forms throughout the eastern portion of South 



Africa. They are all undoubted kafirs, differing from our three 



varieties in minor details, such as size and height of the stalk, length 



of the head, and size and 



color of the seeds and glumes. 



Many of these forms have 



larger seeds than had the 



forms first imported. No 



new colors in seeds have been 



found, but only varying 



shades of red and pink. 



Their variation in much 



more narrow limits than the 



sorffos mav indicate a more 



recent origin. 



TRANSVAAL AND RHODESIA. 



A few kafir forms have 

 recently been obtained from 

 the colonies of Transvaal 

 and Rhodesia. It is probable 

 that when northern Rho- 

 desia has been more fully 

 explored that varieties sim- 

 ilar to those of equatorial 

 Africa will also be found. 



MADAGASCAR. 



The large island of Mada- 

 gascar, more than a thousand 

 miles long, lies off the east 

 coast of South Africa at a 

 distance of 300 to 500 miles. 

 Its sorghums are naturally 

 not well known, but the few 

 that have been obtained, 

 under the native name of 

 Mpemby, are freely stool ing 

 and very leafy sorts, with 

 loose open heads bearing 

 white or reddish-brown seeds. The panicles vary much in shape, some 

 being oblong or narrowly oval, others short and fan shaped, while still 

 others are much elongated and trumpet shaped. The branches of the 

 head are always long, slender, repeatedly divided, and often droop- 

 (Fig. 4.) The spikelets are slender, acute, and prominently 



Fig. 4.- 



-Plants of shallu, representing the variety 

 roxburghii, Hackel. 



ing. 



175 



