PLATE 124. 



ANDROPOGON SOHCENANTHUS (Linn. Sp. Plant. 1046), var. versicolor (Hack. 

 Andr. in DC. Monogr. Phan. vi. 610). 



PERENNIAL, frequently with extravaginal innovation shoots, besides some 

 intravaginal ones, or annual (or at least flowering the first year). 



CULMS fascicled, erect or shortly ascending, stout or rather so, 2-4 feet long, 

 simple and 4-7-noded below the spurious panicle. Sheaths tight, quite glabrous, 

 subherbaceous. or the lowermost firmer, and sometimes subpersistent, 2-3 inches 

 long; upper shorter than the internodes ; ligules very short, rounded. Blades 

 linear to linear-lanceolate from a broader rounded or subcordate base, tapering to 

 a long setaceous point, J-l foot long, by 3-6 lines wide (in the South African 

 specimens), flat, rather flaccid, dull green or sub-glaucous, glabrous, smooth or the 

 margins scabrid. 



g. 



PANICLES more or less compound, narrow, often interrupted, 4-6 inches lon 

 rarely longer. Racemes 4-9 lines long, 2-nate, at length reflexed or horizontally 

 spreading, on slender peduncles which are 2-4 inches long, and subtended by 

 lanceolate boat-shaped, many-nerved scarious reddish spathes, J-l inch lo.ig: joints 

 and pedicels linear, slender, or the lowest somewhat stout, 1-I-|- line long, densely 

 hairy, mainly along the margins, tips minutely cupular, toothed. ,S/<//r/Wx of the 

 lowest pair of the sessile raceme alike, male, the sessile of all the other pairs 

 perfect, the pedicelled male. Perfect xpikeletn lanceolate, 2-2] lines long, often 

 variegated. Glumes, louvr subacute or obscurely 2-toothed, dorsally flattened, 

 with a narrow groove from the middle downward, corresponding to a keel on the 

 inner side, keels narrowly or obscurely winged and scabrid above, evanescent below : 

 upper lanceolate, acute, 1 -sub- 3 -nerved. Valves hyaline, luirer oblong, 1^ line 

 long, 2-nerved, ciliate ; upper scarcely shorter, very narrow, linear, deeply bifid. 

 lobes very fine. Awn 5-7 lines long, slender, bent just below the middle, glabrous 

 below the bend. Pale 0. Anthers 1 line long. Pedicelled *i>ikeletx oblong sub- 

 acute, 2 lines long. Glumes, lower 9-11-nerved; 'i/i/>er .'5-nerved. Valves lower 

 oblong, almost equalling the glumes, 2-nerved; /y/y;o- and pale 0. Antliers 

 1 line long. 



NATAL. Drakensberg Range, Krcmsx 26; Umpumulo. ttm-lmnn. 

 231 ; near Durban, May, Wood, 6046 ; near Durban, February, Wood 7577. 



Figured from Wood's 7577. 



Fi<r. 1, Plant about natural size : 2, spatlie with 2-natc racemes ; 3, lower pair of spikclct.- 

 of sessile raceme. .SV.s.v,',V .^ihelet 4, lower <>-liuue, hack view ; .">, upper srlnmv : (>. lower 

 valve ; 7, upper valve : 8, stamens, stigmas, and lodicules. Pedicelhd xpilo-lrt ' -!). lowi- glume ; 

 10, upper glume ; 11, lower valve. J-J.a-r/it ji,,. 7, nil 



