PLATE 464. 



OLYKA LATIKOLIA, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 746). 

 Xat. Order Gramineaj. 



PERENNIAL. CULMS erect, branched, 3 to <S feet high, glabrous, very smooth, 

 rarely more or less hairy near the nodes, many-noded, sheathed all along or the upper 

 internodes shortly exserted ; sheaths tight, firm, striate, keeled in the upper part, 

 glabrous except at the ciliate upper margins, or hairy ; ligules verv short, truncate, 

 broader than the short hairy petioles. Blades lanceolate-oblong or ovate-oblong, 

 asymmetric, particularly at the rounded base, conspicuously acuminate, 4 to 7 inches, 

 by 1 to 2f inches, flat, glaucous, glabrous except quite at the base, rarely sparing! v 

 hairy, slightly rough with about 11 to 19 primary nerves and a prominent whitish 



by 1 to 



hairy, 



midrib. 



PANICLE erect, terminal, or with a lateral one from the uppermost leaf axil, .'> to 

 (5 inches long, rather contracted or .subpyramidal ; axis slender, angular, pubescent ; 

 branches solitary or sometimes fascicled, subflexuous or straight, angular, pubescent ; 

 pedicels adpressed, of the male spikelets filiform, of the female clavate. 



Male spikelete lateral, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, awned from the valve, 

 glabrous. 



GLUMES quite rudimentary, forming an inconspicuous slightly 2-lobed puberulous 

 rim at the tip of the pedicels. Valve herbaceous-membranous, gradual Iv passing into 

 an awn of about equal length, If to 2 lines long, 3-nerved ; lodicules 3, cunciitc. 

 thin. Anthers over 1 line long. 



Female splkeletx solitary and terminal on the tips of the branches, or '2-l\. rarelv 

 more, below the terminal spikelet, oblong-ovoid, turgid, awned from the lower glume. 



GLUMKS ovate, elliptic, membranous, strongly nerved and veined, i//>/>cr acuminate 

 or shortly caudate-acuminate, about 4 lines long, "> to 7-nerved, Imn-r produced into 

 a flex nous scabrid awn of equal or greater length, 7 to !>-nerved. Valve ovule-elliptic, 

 obtuse, 2 to 3 lines long, white or greyish, cartilaginous, very hard, shining ; stvlrs 



connate beyond the middle ; grain oblong. 







Habitat: NATAL. Ungoya Forest, \Vootl 3X5(5; same localitv, (iemtrd and 

 M<- Ken 2014. 



Fig 1, Portion of panicle, showing male and female spikelets ; Female Spilielct 2, lower 

 glume ; 3, upper glume : 4, valve ; 5, pale ; 6, pistil and lodicules ; Male Sjiikc/ct 7, valve; 

 N, pale ; 9, stamens and lodicules; 10, portion of sheath, showing ligulc and petiole. All 

 enlarged, 





