TABULA 3083. 
RHYTACHNE GRACILIS, Stapf. 
GRAMINEAE. Tribus ANDROPOGONEAE. 
R. gracilis, Stapf in Journ. de Bot. 1905, p. 98 ; et in Pobég. Ess. Fl. 
Guin. Frang. (1906) p. 219; affinis R. triaristatae, Stapf, sed gracilior, 
spiculis multo minoribus, gluma inferiore minus alte tuberculata vel 
rugosa rarius plane laevi, pedicellis in setulam unicam abeuntibus. 
ligulae breves, ovatae, subauriculatae, e dorso pilosulae ; laminae 
praeter summam setiformem brevem filiformes, arcte complicatae, 
applanati, articulis contigui, vix nervosi. Spiculae sessiles e callo 
minuto annulari lanceolato-oblongae, 3 mm. longae, exaristatae, 
runneo-rubescentes. Gluma inferior chartacea, acuta, infra medium 
transverse conspicue vel obscure rugulosa, rarius sublaevis, circiter 
-hervis, carinis superne rigide ciliolatis in setulas ad 4 mm. longas 
excurrentibus ; superior inferiorem aequans, lanceolata, subhyalina, 
3-nervis, in setulam terminalem 3 mm. longam abiens. Anthoecowm 
inferum 3: valva lanceolata, hyalina, 2 mm. longa, sub-2-nervis cum 
hyalina, 15 mm. longa, I-nervis, cum valvula multo breviore. 
Spiculae pedicellatae ad setam 3 mm. longam redactae.—Stapf in 
Prain, Fl. Trop. Afr. vol. ix. p. 86. 
Tropitcan Arrica. French Guinea: Kouroussa, Pobéguin, 494; 
Timbo, Pobéguin, 1764, 1766, 1790b. 
The standard specimen of R. gracilis consists of a bundle of closely 
packed, but separate simple culms; in other cases the primary axis 
1s branched from the very base, forming a tuft of erect culms, each 
of them flowering. The latter growth-form seems to be usual for 
the allied R. triaristata, Stapf (Lepturopsis triaristata, Steud.), which 
