98 APPENDIX—GRAMINES. 
described genuis, and attributes to it one glume; this must 
be the inner membranaceous one, and the inner glume will 
then be the outer unipaleaceous glumoid neuter flower, the 
outer glume being altogether abortive. 
Rottbellia. Spica articulata crassa, aspectu albo suberosa, 
articulis bifloris, inferior major magis immersa alba, superior 
sessilis obcoalitione pedicelli cum rachi minor, minus immersa, 
atro-viridescens. Glume biflorz fl. inferior 2, exterior 
planiuscule, cartilaginia, mutica, fere emarginat. margine 
induplicatum, venis crebris, ideoque aspectu primo bivenia ; 
interior acutiuscule omnino immersa cymboideo-cochleari- 
forma, subcarinata, carina obliquuscula ob pressione — pedicel- 
lum; fl. superior neutrius. Flos іп sinu glume exteriores neu- 
ter, bipaleaceus, paleæ chartacee mutice, ext. trivenia, inter. 
bivenia. Lodiculæ valde venosz. Stam. bipaleacea in sinu 
gl. interior hermaph. Palez hyaline tener, exter multo major 
trivenia, inter plana subevenia. 
_ This species is at once distinguished by its stout. spongy or 
corky looking spikes, and in the dried state, by the contrast 
in colour of the tabescent flowers, it appears to be a genuine 
Rottboellia, and comes near the Hermarthria. ` 
Rottbellia perforata. Comes close to Ophiurus, from which 
it differs in the oppositely bi-flowered articulations, the com- 
parative flatness of the inner glume, the outer flower unipa- 
leaceous and neuter, the outer paleaof the hermaphrodite 3- 
veined, although the central vein is the smallest. 
Endlicher in his Geuera makes out from Kunth, that there 
is only one glume, and that the spicula consists of 9 flowers, 
two sterile, 1 paleaceous, the terminal one hermap. bipa- 
leaceous. 
For this hypothesis, I see no reason, unless it be applied 
both to Hemarthria and Ophiurus, in both, which the inner 
glume has a membranaceous consistence. Possibly also 
Kunth has been guided by the tendency to the inner glume 
