PLATE 196. 



AGROSTIS LACHNANTHA, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 549). 



Nat. Order Gramineae. 

 PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL, glabrous. 



CULMS erect or geniculate-ascending, | to 2 feet long, smooth or scaberulous 

 below the nodes, 2 to 4-noded ; leaf-sheaths minutely scaberulous ; ligule 1 to 2j 

 lines long ; blades linear, tapering to an acute point, Ij to 8 inches by 1 to 2 

 lines, green or subglaucous, flat, flaccid, scaberulous on both sides. 



PANICLE contracted, narrow, 2 to 12 inches long, erect, branches very unequal, 

 in distant fascicles, the longest up to 4 inches, or all very short, capillary, erect or 

 flexuous, scabrid, branched from the base or the longer ones simple for J to 1 inch ; 

 pedicels mostly as long as or shorter than the spikelets, the latter light green, f to 

 1 3, line long, shining ; rhachilla not produced. 



GLUMES subequal, lanceolate, acutely subacuminate, keels rather stout, 

 scabrid ; valve oblong, truncate, f to 1 line long, hairy, often only along the 

 side-nerves, rarely glabrous, 3-nerved. sometimes mucronate ; callus scantily 

 bearded ; pale J to f line long ; anthers line long ; grain oblong, line long. 



Habiiat : NATAL. CJmpumulo, 2000 feet alt,, common by streamlets, Buchanan 

 280 ; Riet Vlei, 4000 to 5000 feet alt, Buchanan 286 ; marshy ground near Mooi 

 River, 4000 feet alt, Mason 51, 65, 69. 



Also in Abyssinia. A very variable plant, so far as size and habit are 

 concerned. 



Fig 1, Glume; 2, valve ; 3, pale. All enlarged. 



