89 
stroom experiment farm in March, 1917. Through delays, these 
arrived in a seemingly dead condition, and after a preliminary 
soaking were planted out. Practically no rain fell after planting, 
yet by December, 1917, considerable growth had been made, 
and the runners became the source of our principal propagation 
plots. A further lot of slips were imported from Natal in 
December, 1917, and were planted out one foot apart each way. 
The resulting plot as it appeared in June, 1918, is shown in the 
accompanying illustration. The slips soon covered the ground 
entirely, and the growth was so vigorous that the paths and 
adjoining beds were invaded. The spreading power of this 
grass is one of its most remarkable features, and not only does 
it spread along the surface of the ground, but its runners penetrate 
downwards to a considerable depth in the course of a single 
season, making its hold upon the ground very firm, and rendering 
it hardy against tramping. In view of its known excellent 
feeding qualities. its vigour and its adaptability to Rhodesia, 
it can be confidently recommended. It is expected that slips 
in limited quantities will be available for distribution during the 
coming season.” 
When in 1915 the first very meagre specimens of the grass 
reached Kew from Pretoria they were recognised as identical 
with some fragments of a Pennisetum which in 1906 had been 
received from Mr. A. Linton among pieces of Cynodon Dactylon, 
collected at “ Linoru”’ (evidently meant for Lamoru, the first 
railway station west of Kikuyu). Both were then considered 
to be probably stunted and very much reduced forms of Penni- 
selum longistylum, a conception corresponding more or less to 
Leeke’s treatment of the plant as a var. clandestina of the same 
species “‘ congrua et cum forma normali evidenter consan- 
guinea.” However, after the accession of better material from 
East Africa, and the experience gained in the Transvaal, namely, 
that improved conditions did not affect the peculiar structure of 
the grass, it became evident that the extreme reduction of the 
inflorescence and the stunted condition of the vegetative parts 
were not casual features impressed on the plant by an especially 
unfavourable habitat, but fixed and perfectly definite characters 
of specific rank. This was also the conclusion Pilger came to 
when describing the grass which he had from Lamoru (collected 
by G. Scheffler in 1909), as a new species, Pennisetum inclusum 
(in Engler’s Jahrb. xv. p. 209). Further search in the literature 
on Pennisetum, however, showed that Pilger had been forestalled 
by Chiovenda who had already in 1903 (Annuar. Ist. Bot. Roma, 
viii. p. 41) accorded the grass the status of a species, taking up 
an unpublished name of Hochstetter’s “ clandestinum e as 
nomen specificum. Chiovenda’s species was hased on a specimen 
of Schimper’s, 2084 (no locality stated), which is not represented 
in the collection at Kew and the British Museum at London, 
nor was the species itself recorded in the Index Kewensis. 
Chiovenda’s description, however, and his figure leave no doubt 
