PLATE 454. 



POA BTXATA, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p 714). 

 Nat. Order Graminere. 



PEBENNT AL, compactly csespitose, glabrous. CHLMS erect, J to 1J foot high, 

 .rarely tailor, more or less compressed below, usually 2-noded, iriternodes exserted, 



LEAVES mostly near tbe base ; sheaths tight, smooth, the loirer more or less 

 keeled, ultimately breaking up into persistent fibres ; ligules ovate, \ to \\ line 

 long; blades linear, acute, 2 to G inches, by 1 to Ij line, flat, with the tips often 

 complicate and curved, smooth or finely scaberulous above. 



PANICLE ovoid or pyramidal when open, 2|- to 6 inches long, erect or nodding, 

 lax ; rhachis smooth, very slender ; branches distant, geminate, finely filiform, 

 Hexuous or wavy, up to 2 inches long, undivided to the middle or beyond it, smooth 

 or scaberulous above ; branchlets contracted; lateral pedicels very short, scaberulous, 



SPIKELETS crowded on the tips of the branches, ovate-oblong, 2 to -!> lines 

 long, closely 3 to 5-rlowered, pallid, rarely variegated with purple.. 



GLUMES rather unequal, lower ovate to oblong when expanded, acute, 1 to 1| 

 line long, 1 -nerved; keel scaberulous ; Dipper ovate, acuminate, 1^ to 2 lines long, 

 3-nerved, side-nerves usually very short. Valves oblong, subacute to acute, lower 

 2 lines long, glabrous or minutely pubescent below, along the keel and the outer 

 nerves, not connected by wool; tips hyaline; nerves prominent Pales Inline 

 long, keels scabrid. Anthers 1 to l line long. 



Habitat : NATAL. On mountains about 100 miles inland. 4000 to 6000 feet 

 alt., Snt/K't-lfiml ; Riet Vlei, 4000 to 5000 feet alt,, Buclinnwi 284 ; near the Mooi 

 River, 3000-4000 feet alt., Wood 732f> (Mso)i 68) ; and without precise locality, 

 Bud i an mi, 285. 



Very closely allied to the Abyssinian P. siiu'iixis, Hochst, ex A. Rich, which 

 differs mainly in having narrower, more acute, valves, and longer ligules. Both 

 species belong to the group of P. polycolea, Stapf. 



Drawn from Wood's 7320, which was collected near Mooi River by H. Mason. 



1, Spikelet ; 2. lower o-linno ; .'?, upper glume : 4, valve; 5, pale ; 6, stamens, pistil, 

 I'jilienles. All ciilnri/r<l, 



