68 ME. G. BENTHAM ON GEAMINB^. 



10. Abtheaxon, Beauv. {Pleuroplitis, Trin., Batratherum, 

 Nees, Lucwa, Kunth, Lasiolytrum, Steud., Alectoridia, A. Eich., 

 Psilopogon, Hochst.), has also about ten species, chiefly from 

 the Indo-Australian region, but extending on the one hand to 

 China and Japan, and on the other to tropical Africa. The 

 spikes are slender as in Dimeria ; but there are three stamens, 

 and the lower empty glume is broad but acute, not truncate as in 

 Apoeopis. 



Bottloelliea, the third group of Andropogonese, is often re- 

 garded as a distinct tribe, characterized by the simple spike, 

 the apikelets in pairs at each notch or excavation of the rhachis, 

 the one sessile, the other pedicellate, and no awn to the flowering- 

 glume. There are, however, as in other subtribes, here -and 

 there exceptions to one or more of these characters. "We have 

 seven genera. 



11. EtiioinjETJS, Humb. and Bonpl., has about twelve species, 

 chiefly South-American or African, with, however, one Austra- 

 lian and one from the East-Mediterranean region. They all 

 differ little from Rottboellia besides the long silky hairs which 

 clothe the spike, thus connecting EottboelliesB with other An- 

 dropogonese. -B. Jnrsuta, Munro (SottboelUa Jiirsuta, Vahl), has 

 been proposed by Boissier as a distinct genus Lasiurus, as having 

 the spikelets in threes instead of in twos at each node of the 

 rhachis. But that character is by no means constant ; in several 

 specimens I have found the spikelets in threes or even in fours 

 at the lower nodes ; but in others they are in the normal pairs 

 from the base of the spike. 



12. SoTTBOELLiA, Linn, f., a tropical or subtropical genus widely 

 spread, but chiefly in the Old World, has been either extended to 

 nearly the whole subtribe or very variously restricted to a small 

 number or to a single species. It seems best characterized by in- 

 cluding all those which have the simple terete spike, without the 

 hairs oiHUonurus or the peculiarities of the four following genera. 

 It would contain about eighteen species, amongst which several have 

 been proposed as monotypic genera. Coelor}iaoMs,'Biongn.,iB M. mu- 

 ricata,'Retz (JR. glandulosa, Trin.); PeZ^qpAorw«,Desv.,is It.myurus: 

 in both of these the lowest or outer glume of the perfect spikelet is 

 rigid and bordered on each side at the apex by a membranous wing, 

 which, however, is also present, but much less prominent, in M. 

 rugosa, Nutt. Fhacelur a, (jrvmeb. (Pholiurus,'Svin. in Spreng. JN^eue 

 Entd. ii. 67, not of the Eundam. Agrost.), is the Oriental B. digi- 



