No. 27. 

 EPIGAMPES MACROURA Bentham. 



Rootstoclc ascending, thick. Roots strong, little branched. 



Culms tufted, erect, 2£ to 3\ feet high, glabrous, simple. 



Leaves of the root several ; sheaths mostly loose above and involute, 6 to 9 inches 

 long, glabrous ; blade inserted on the back of the sheath, erect, commonly 1 foot 

 long, glabrous, usually involute ; ligule 3 to 6 lines long, lanceolate, coriaceous 

 below, membranaceous above and on the margins, broader than the blade, appear- 

 ing as a direct continuation of the sheath. Leaves of the stem 2 to 3, similar to 

 those of the root ; sheaths imbricated and mostly clasping ; blade frequently much 

 shorter. 



Inflorescence paniculate. Panicle short-pedunculate, erect, usually 8 to 16 inches 

 long ; rachis terete, scabrous, branches imbricated, 1 to 4 inches long, nearly erect, 

 scabrous, bearing the spikelets singly on short scabrous pedicels. 



Spikelets nearly terete, lanceolate and acute when closed, about 1 line long. 



Glumes 3; first and second nearly equal, two-thirds the length of the spikelet, 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 1-nerved, scabrous on the back ; third 

 (flowering) similar in texture, a little longer, oblong, obtuse and bifid at the apex, 

 with a short scabrous awn or mucro from the angle, 3- to 5-nerved, scabrous on the 

 back. 



Flowers single, hermaphrodite. Palet equaling the third glume, oblong, ob- 

 tuse, 2-nerved, rarely scabrous. Stamens 3; anther linear, f to 1 line long. Styles 

 distinct, short ; stigmas about half the length of the anthers, oblong, the fimbriae 

 long. 



Grain dark brown, linear-oblong, obtuse or acutish at base and apex, terete, in- 

 closed in the flowering glume and palet ; rachilla disarticulating above the second 

 glume. 



Plate XXVII ; a, first (on the right) and second glume ; l\ flowering glume (on 

 the right) and palet, open to show the stamens and pistil. The styles are much too 

 long, while the stigmas should be twice as long and nearly four times broader. 



This is another of the grasses called saccato, or saccatone. 



