PLATE 436. 



('ULUKJS V1HGATA, Swart/. (R Cap., Vol. VI 1., ,,. (j.H). 



Xat. Order (iraminea\ 



PEHKXXIAL <>u AXNTAI. (flowering the first year ?), 1 to 3 feet high. 



CULMS erect or geniculately -ascending or prostrate below, rooting and emitting 

 fascicles of barren shoots from the nodes, 3 to o-uoded, more or less compressed below, 

 glabrous, smooth, internodes exserted : shcuths glabrous, rarely sparingly hairv, 

 smooth, the lower much coni|)ressed, keeled ; ligules membranous, very short, very 

 minutely ciliolate : blades linear, gradually tapering to an acute point, 1 to 4 inches 

 by 1 to 1| line, Hat or folded, sometimes flaccid, glaucous, glabrous, rarely sparingly 

 hairy, smooth below, scaberulous above, margins rough. Spikes (5 to 15 or more, 

 suberect. sessile, whitish -green or purplish, 1 to ~2% inches long, straight ; rhaehis 

 pubescent or villous at the base, scabrid. 



SIMKKLKTS '2- (rarely sub-3) flowered, Pawned, almost '2 lines long ; rhaehilla 

 joint between the valves rather long, terminal joint verv minute. 



narrow, lanceolate, hyaline, nmcronate, keels scabrid, the lower \ to 1{ 

 line long, the upper almost 2 lines ; lower valve obliquely oblong, acute or obscurely 

 2-toothed, \\ line long, whitish or almost black when mature, ciliate along the 

 marginal nerves and bearded below the tip, finely grooved on the faces, keel glabrous 

 or minutely ciliate below the middle ; awn o to X lines long, straight : pale glabrous ; 

 anthers ^ to \ line long ; grain linear-oblong, obtuselv triquetrous, f line long ; upper 

 valve (or valves) quite emptv, obliquely cuneate in profile, 1 line or less long, awn 

 from below the tip, 3 to (i lines long. 



Vnr. Elcyans (Stapf). Spikes up to 3 inches long. Spikelets usually sub-3- 

 flowered : lower valve conspicuously gibbous, 1 line long, more deeply grooved on 

 the faces, keel glabrous or ciliate to, and bearded at the middle. 



Habitat: XATAL. Herea. Wood o!)4S ; river banks at Tugela, GOO to 1000 

 Feet alt.. Buchanan lS(i ; Van Keeneifs Pass, ,~>">00 feet alt,, Wood ">!)S)0 : Xululand, 

 I'OOO feet alt,, Jenkiiison ^'2 : rar. eleyaitx, Inanda, 1SOO feet alt., \Vood (W7. 



Widely spread through the tropics of both hemispheres. 



Mr. Jenkinson says of this grass: u Found chiefly in old cultivated ground, 

 dries up altogether in winter. It is said to be a good fodder grass, and to be much 

 .relished bv stock." Dr. Andrew Smith says that the natives boil the roots to make a 

 bath for cold and also for rheumatism. 



Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve in profile ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and 

 loilicules ; 6, second valve. All eularyed. 



