118 



19 Oarex, Linn. Esseubeckiana, Boechl. F. 



Bolusii, O. B. Clarke. ? extensa, Gooden. C. 



Buchanani, „ ? petitiana, A. Rich. ? 



condeusata, Nees. ? phacota, Spreng. D-F. 



drakensbergensis, C. B. spicato-paniculata, G. B. 



Clarke. EF. Clarke. B. 



Dregeana, Kth. B. 



ORDER CC. GRAMINE^. 



(by 0. staff). 



Partial inflorescences (spikelets) consisting of an axis rhachilla) 

 and typically, of 3 or more alternate, distichous, more or less hetero- 

 morphous ])racts, of which the 2 lowest (glumes) form an involucre to 

 the spikelet and are empty, whilst the following {valves) bear in their 

 axils sul)sessile flowers, subtended by a usually hyaline, 2 keeled or 

 2 nerved dorsal bract (pale) ; valves differing usually in structure and 

 size from the glumes, and forming with the pale and the flower proper, 

 false flowers (florets), which are alike or different in structure or sex, 

 and often more or less reduced toward the top of the spikelet. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite, or unisexual (often with the rudiments of the other 

 sex), consisting of 3, or usually, of 2 (anterior) minute hyaline or 

 fleshy, nerved or nerveless scales (lodicules), representing a perianth, 

 and of stamens or of a pistil, or of both. Stamens usually 3, rarely 

 6,4, 2 or 1, very rarely more, hypogynous ; fliaments very slender, 

 nearly always free, -anthers versatile, consisting of 2 parallel cells, 

 opening longitudinally l)y a slit, rarely by a terminal pore. Ovary 

 entire, 1 celled, styles 2, lateral, rarely 3 or 1 , free or more or less 

 united, sometimes very short ; stigmas as many as the styles, with 

 simple or branched stigmatic hairs, exserted from the sides or top of 

 the florets ; ovule 1, anatropous, often more or less adnate to the 

 posterior side of the carpel. Fruit with the thin pericarp adnate to the 

 seed (caryopsis, grain; rarely a nut or berry), with two marks, an 

 anterior indicating the position of the embryo, and a posterior (hilnm), 

 free within the valve and pale, or adhering to the latter, rarely to both, 

 usually forming with tliem a false fruit wliich becomes free by the 

 disarticulation of the rhachilla. Seed erect ; albumen copious, starchy ; 

 embry(^ usually small on the anterior face at the base of and outside 

 tiie albumen ; cotyledon shield-like {scutellum), closely attached by its 

 inner side to the albiunen, having the plumule and the descending 

 radicle in front, and sometimes also a smaller anterior appendage 

 opposite it (epiblast). 



Herbs, rarely suffruticose, or in BamhusetV often tall shrubs or 

 trees, annual, or perennial by moans of rhizomes, rarely of jerial woody 

 stems. Stems nearly always (often re]->eatedly and profusely) branched 

 at the base, very rarely simple, thus forming fascicles or tufts of erect, 

 ascending, prostrate or creeping, simple or ramified branches, which 

 in the annual species are all more or less alike, having usually much 

 shortened basal and lengthened upper internodes, teiminating with an 



