botaxy of soeghhsl 57 



Botanical Description. 



Generic characters : Spikelets (flowers with their husks at the end 

 of the small branches), two or three together on the slender ramifications 

 of the panicle (seed head ) , the lateral ones abortive, or reduced to a 

 mere pedicel ; the middle or terminal ones fertile. Glumes (the husk 

 or hull) coriaceous (leathery), closely bearded or downy, becoming 

 indurated after the anthesis (blooming), with or without awns. Palea 

 (inner husk) membranous ; stamens, three ; styles, two, with bearded' 

 stigmas. Stout, tall grasses, with solid stalks with pith. 



SpeciJTC Xame, Sorghum Saccharatum. 



Botanical yamcs. 



Milium quod ex India, in Italiam invectum, nigro colore. — Pliny. 



Sorgo melica Italorum. — Lobel. 



Melica, sive sorghum. — Dodou. 



Melica forte a milica sagina, aliis saginanda calamagrostis Dioscori- 

 des. — Coesalpin. 



^Milium arundinaceum sub rotimdo semine, sorgo nominatum. — G. 

 Bauhiu. 



Sorghum. — Rumphi. 



Milium Indicum arundiuaceocaule,granis flavescentibus. — Herman. 



Holcus saccharatus. — Linuieus. 



Milium Indicum saccharifei-um altissimuni seminibus ferrugineo. — 

 Bre^Tiuis. 



Holcus dochna. — Foskal. 



Holcus caffrorum. — St. Clair. 



Andropogon saccharatum. — Kuntz. 



Sorghum saccharatum — Persoon. 



Holcus caifrorum. — Thunb. 



Holcus caffir. — Arduini. 



Sorghum Arduini. — Jaquas. 



Sorghum cafirorum. — Beau vols. 



Description of Plant. 



Root, fibrous; culm (stalk) thick, stout, solid, with pith, from six to 

 twelve feet high ; leaves lanceolate, acuminate, downy at base ; flowers 

 forming a large, more or less diff\isely spreading panicle, with the 

 branches more or less verticillate, often nodding when in fruit ; glumes 

 (husk) of the perfect fluwer hairy, downy, and persistent ; from the 



East Indies. Cultivated. 



« 



W illiam Henry Harvey, F.K.S., in "The Genera of South African 

 Plants," London, 1868, gives the generic characters of this plant as 

 follows : 



