Eragrosiis] xxviii. gramine^, 245 



in breadth. Panicle 4 to 5 in. long by rj to barely 1 in across, 

 lowermost branches reaching 2^ in. becoming shorter upwards. 

 Spikelets }^ in. or rather less, by I line wide ; lower barren gl. 

 ^ line, upper ~ line ; fertile gl. -■} line long ; anthers ?5 to ^- line, 

 grain a good i line. 



A very distinct species characterised by its narrow densely 

 crowded panicle, and long narrow-linear many-flowered spikelets. 



MossAMEDES. — Rather dry sandy places between the fortified town 

 of Mossamedes and Mata dos Carpinteiros ; towards the end of June 

 1859. No. 3597. 



24. E. quadriflora Rendle sp. nov. 



Annual, csespitose, culms unbranched, erect or with an ascend- 

 ing base and rooting at the lowest node, internodes 7, subcom- 

 pre.ssed, except the uppermost which bears the panicle glabrous 

 and polished, increasing regularly in length from the lowest 

 upwards, with a glandular ring just below the glabrous purplish 

 nodes ; sheaths compressed, loose, papery, striate, glabrous except 

 for a conspicuous tuft of hairs at the mouth and a few short hairs 

 along the margins, conspicuously glandular-punctate ; ligule a 

 short dense row of hairs ; blades stiff, linear-tapering, acute, con- 

 volute, upper face sparsely pilose, lower face glazed and glabrous ; 

 panicle narrowly lanceolate in outline when fully developed, 

 rhachis scabridulous-pubescent, branches filiform, scabridulous, 

 tinged like the rhachis with dull purple, multiverticillate at the 

 lowest node, scattered or pseudo-verticillate above, ascending and 

 curving gracefully outwards, branched almost from the base, 

 lateral branches short bearing 2 spikelets and passing above into 

 single shortly stalked spikelets ; spikelets lanceolate to lanceolate- 

 oblong, compressed, 4- to 5-flowered, dull greenish-purple ; barren 

 glumes lanceolate, acute, carinulate and scabridulous above the 

 l)ase, 1 -nerved, margin and apex hyaline, the lower reaching to 

 within ]- to i of the tip of the lowest fertile glume, about I shorter 

 than the upper ; fertile glumes ovate, blunt, 3-nerved, marginal 

 nerves imperfect, glabrous, pale slightly short, broad, slightly 

 curved, keels scabridulous just below the apex only. 



Culms about 2| ft. high, lower internodes reaching II line in 

 diameter, sheaths from 1| to 4 in. long, the lower subcarinate and 

 reaching nearly 2 lines in width, the upper nairower, longer, and 

 less compressed ; ligule a good I line ; leaves 4 to 6 in. long, the 

 lower 2 lines in width at the ba.se. Panicle 8 to 9 in. long by 

 11 in. greatest width, branches at the lower nodes reaching 2 in. 

 long, branchlets |^ to i in. or less; spikelets 1^ to 2 lines long, the 

 pedicel of the lateral spikelets rarely exceeding ^ line, often less, 

 the terminal on pedicels equal to or generally 2 to 3 times their 

 own length. Barren glumes i line and 1 line respectively ; the 

 upper reaching to above the middle of the second fertile glume ; 

 fertile glume | line long; anthers brown, scarcely ^ line long; 

 grain not developed, 



A distinct species, perhaps nearest A\ micrantha Hack., but a 



