PLATE 167. 



SETARIA SULCATA, RADDI. (Fl. Cap. Vol. VII , p. 421). 

 Nat. Order Graminese. 



PERENNIAL. CULMS erect or ascending from a short, prostrate and rooting 

 base, stout, 5 to 12 feet high, compressed below, sometimes pubescent and scabrid 

 close to the panicle, otherwise usually glabrous and smooth, 5 or more noded, 

 sheathed almost all along or upper internodes exserted ; sheaths long, rather tight, 

 glabrous or hirsute, the lowest strongly compressed, subpersistent ; ligule a densely 

 ciliate rim ; blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate from a long and much attenuate 

 or even petioled base, tapering to an acute point, I J to 3 feet long, by 1 to 3J 

 inches broad, closely plicately folded when young, then opening out (folds very 

 numerous), glabrous or hairy, scabrid above towards the tip. 



PANICLE linear or linear-oblong, usually interrupted, 1 to more than 2 feet 

 long, often nodding ; axis angular, glabrous or puberulous, scaberulous above ; 

 branches solitary, irregularly approximate or almost whorled, to G inches long, 

 scabrid, spike-like, dense, bearing fascicles of spikelets below and solitary spikelets 

 above, or the lower with similar more or less distant branchlets at the base ; 

 bristles solitary, fine, scaberulous, wavy, ] to 8 inches long, terminating the 

 branches and branchlets and at the base of some or most of the lower and middle 

 spikelets ; pedicels very short, scabrid, tips subdiscoid. 



SPIKELETS ob'ong, acute, 1 J line long, glabrous, green or tinged with purple. 



GLUMES herbaceous-membranous, very broadly ovate, obtuse or subacute, 

 lower 3-nerved, J to almost half as long as the spikelet ; tipper 5 to sub-7-nerved, 

 ^ to f as long as the spik'elet. Florets, lower barren, rarely male, equalling the 

 upper or almost so ; valve ovate-oblong, acute, 5 to sub-7-nerved, of the same 

 texture as the glumes ; pale slightly shorter than its valve or more or less reduced. 

 Perfect floret oblong, acuminate, 1| line long, tips often recurved ; valve sub- 

 coriaceous, 5-nerved, pale or finally brown particularly upwards, smooth or verv 

 obscurely wrinkled. Anthers f line long. 



Habitat : NATAL. Near Durban, Drege ; Berea, March, Wood 6927 ; Zulu- 

 land 1500 feet alt., Jenkinson 54. 



Drawn from specimens gathered on Berea, March. 

 Throughout tropical Africa and America. 



This plant was formerly known in Natal as Panicum excurrens, Nees ; it is a 

 common grass on the coast and in the midlands, is usually found at edges and in 

 light bush ; it is a coarse grass and not liked by cattle, in Natal often called 

 '' Buffalo Grass." The figure of the plant in the illustration is much reduced. 

 Mr Jenkinson says of this grass : " Native name ' Ubabe' (Omkulu). Only found 

 in small patches in shady and sheltered spots. Excellent fodder ; keeps green 

 through winter." 



Fig 1, Fascicle of spikelets ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower valve ; 5, pale ; 

 6, upper valve ; 7, pale ; 8, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. 



