Ehrharta.] GRAMINEX (Stapf). 661 
or less obscurely produced. Florets 3; lower 2 ee to empty 
valves, uppermost 3. Glumes persistent, membranous. Valves 3, 
heteromorphous; the lower 2 empty, usually ait the glumes, 
smaller, thinner, awnless, sometimes with a knob-like nd at 
th ing a hinge with the appendage of the upper empty 
valy; narrow, keeled, finely 2-nerved, ner 
stigmas plumose or brush-like, exserted hive the ate Grain 
elliptic, much compressed ; hilum a fine line almost as long as the 
i vie about + of the grain. 
ials or annuals of very varied habit, oe buibous at the base or 
citecen blades flat or convolute, sometimes much — or peice 
li em Petter, usually short or reduced to a rim; pan 
‘nines sometimes very scanty or even ashi to potitary sqikclote 
Species 25 South Africa, 1 also in a slightly different form in 
fia, iectsal Arabia, the f Bhaaadh Islands and India (here probably 
Intro d), 
Empty valves Aegon caudate, similar in outline, equal 
or unequal, 2—4 times re Jeng th of the glumes, upper 
not oe a the 
Flaccid annuals ; nee mpty valve —e the 
m 
valve 1-1} lin. 4 equalling or slig ne ; 
exceeding the inci hema (1) triandra. 
Spikelets long ; upper y valve longer than 
lower, fertile vai Bat | in. long, much ‘ 
eedin, & the glu pon stamens 6 (2) longiflora. 
Pitcninle with crowded basal leaves ; lower e empty 
valve distinctly shorter ‘can the fertile, upper 
pitted at the base : 
Leaves lanceolate to linear- ipsa amas 2-5 lin. 
— _— - at. i .. (3) dur 
a. 
(4) microlena. 
Lea w blifde 
Empty valves ag sipciaie onlin: ‘less than twice the 
ms pp of lume, or ne ubulate-caudate, the culm 
a bulboas thickening at the base or the empty 
‘y dissim : 
Culms bulbous at the ba ase, simple, 2-3-noded, with 
tufts of basal leaves ; empty valves subequal, upper 
not appendaged at the base, ae sometimes with 
@ prominent rid; 
wer empty v cars widening above the etme 
smooth, or like the upper coarsely rugose fro 
projecting transverse lamella ; blades aialiy 
flat, broad : 
Spite Gin! nog! saith iow (5) Balbo, 
Spikelets 4-6 lin. long 6) capensis. 
Lower empt t equally y wide ‘th hough 
pty 
out, like the upper smoot 
— ersely rngose; blades nsnaly “convolte, 
igid 
Gabeeis ios bulbous, or if subbulbous at t the base, t 
bss ‘anched and 4-6-noded, or the empty valves ver 2x4 
unequal ; 
(7) longifolia, 
