PLATE 144. 



DlGITARIA DIAGONALIS (Stapf, Fl. Cap. Vol. VII. p. 381). 



PKKKNMAL. CULMS tufted on a short pi-remorse rhizome, erect, rather firm, 

 simple, up to more than 3 feet long, glabrous or hairy below the racemes, 1-3-noded, 

 the uppermost Lnteruode by far the longest. Leaves mainly crowded near the base ; 

 lower sheaths rather firm, strongly striate, adpressed hairy to tomentose at the 

 base, persistent, at .length breaking up. into fibres,' upper thinner, hairy or glabrous 

 except the bearded nodes, uppermost very long, rather loose ; ligules up to \\ line 

 long, obtuse or truncate. Blades linear, tapering to a fine point, J-l f<x>t long, by 

 2-4 lines wide, flat or with involute margins, rigid or almost flaccid, scabrid, 

 glabrous or softly hairy. 



RACEMES 5 to many, solitary or fascicled, on a scabrid or hirsute angular 

 common rhachis of variable length (the whole inflorescence -1 foot long), slender, 

 .strict or flexuous, erect or more or less spreading, '2-5 inches long, villous at the 

 base. Rhachis subtriquetrous, wavv, very narrow, angular, angles rigidly ciliate, 

 internodes up to 1 .> line long. 



SPIKELETS in fascicles of 3-0, oblong, obtuse to subacute, 1-1 J line long ; 

 pedicels unequal, up to 1^ line long, setulose, uppermost hairs equalling the spike- 

 lets. Glumes, loircr ; ujtpc.r rotundate-ovate, obtuse, ^-^ line long, hyaline, 

 nerveless or 1 -nerved. Valves equal, lowr membranous, whitish, oblong, glabrous, 

 3-nerved : n/>/>rr chartaceous like the pale, brown to almost black, somewhat 

 shining. Anthers J line long. 



: NATAL. Near Durban, Dmjc\ very common near Mapumulo, 

 Bnrl,<(>t>i 200 ; hill tops near Kiet Vlei, 0000 feet alt., Bwltmtan 207 : without 

 precise locality, ttm-lminoi 72 ; near Maritzburg, 8t. (i<><nyc :\4 : Zululand, 

 Jenkinton 83. 



Drawn from St. George's specimen. 



Fijj. 1, Kliadiis \\itli pedii-i-ls : 2, upper jluinc' : 3, lower valve : 4, ii|)))cr valve : .">. ]>ale ; 

 <i, ovary, stvles. stisjinas, and lodieules. All enlarged, 



