632 GRAMINEX (Stapf). [ Desmostachya. 
LIV. DESMOSTACHYA, Stapf. 
Spikelets linear, strongly laterally compressed, closely imbricate, 
alternate, sessile or subsessile on, and falling entire from, the slender 
rhachis of secund more or less distinctly 2-ranked spikes which are 
crowded into long narrow spike-like panieles; rhachilla tough. 
Florets numerous, 9, rather loose. Glumes very unequal, mem- 
branous, l-nerved, keeled. Valves ovate, acute or subacute, entire, 
muticous, rigidly membranous, 3- nerved, acutely keeled, glabrous, 
side-nerves evanescent upwards. ales slightly shorter than the 
valves, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, rather large, asymmetric, hyaline, 
nerved at t ie base. Stamens 3. Ovary yf glabrous ; ; styles distinet, 
slender ; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Grain loosely enclosed 
by the seienaly altered valve and pale, yee sae: ovoid, obtusely 
triquetrous ; pericarp thin, adnate to the seed ; embryo about + the 
length of the grain ; hilum small, basal, sanetteein. 
as ennial, branched at the base; branches aes with leathery sheaths . 
above the base and with a tuft of coarse leaves; panicle spike-like, ofte 
hiberrustot b elow; branches (spikes) more or ‘ie Beige pace 
approximate or spirally arranged on a stiff axis, persistent; spikelets on the 
lower side of, and often at right angles to, the. ae closely Lume ed, light 
straw-coloured or tinged with brown or purple, often very many-flowered. 
Species 1, from Egypt to India, and southwards to East Tropical ines 
This genus was erroneously supposed to occur within the area of the Flora 
Capensis when the Key was drawn up; but although not actually represented 
in the South African ei at atthe it is very pro obable that it will be found 
c : me 
a : conv! 
me that it is one of the na which co co t Er ragrostexe and Chloridex (especially 
the Leptochloa group), an Boy (ollowing Sir Joseph Hooker’s example 
the case of M prota) w separated Desmostachya generically from 
Eragrostis, where, under me of H. cyno pad sages uv., it represen nted a 
separate section, erpseet tee in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 
LV. SPARTINA, Schreb. 
Spikelets 1-flowered, laterally compressed, narrow, densely imbri- 
Sait or distant by half their length, alt ernately biseriate, sessile, 
unilateral on a triquetrous excurrent rhachis, ey disarticulating 
at the base ; en tough, not produced. Flore¢ hermaphrodite. 
Glumes 2, narrow, wu ual, (a 5-nerved, keeled. Valve as long as 
or shorter than the discs ‘glume, oblong (linear-oblong in n profile) 
tal very thin exeept along the keel. Pale exceedin dy oe valve, 
finely 2-nerved, very thin. Lodicules 0. Stamens 3; filaments 
very tong. Ovary glabrous, acute ; styles connate at tlie base, very 
long ; stigmas narrow, densely plumose Pesaran! exserted. (rain 
enclosed by the little changed valve and pale, free, thio ; embry? 
narrow, as rg as the grain ; hilum ine l. 
