100 ME. Q. BENTUAM ON GEAMINBiE. 



tanthus, Steud., is founded on two Australian spacies, moat pro- 

 bably of Banthonia, but which, from the evidently incorrect 

 character given, it is impossible to identify without seeing the 

 specimens. Grinipes, Hochst., is the Abyssinian species pub- 

 lished by A. Eichard as D. dbyssinica, Hochst., in which the outer 

 empty glumes are exceptionally shorter than the spikelet. 



Tribe XI. CHLOHIDEiE. 



This tribe is characterized amongst Poaceae almost exclusively 

 by the inflorescence. The spikelets are sessile in two rows in 

 unilateral spikes, the rhachis of which is neither articulate nor 

 notched as in Hordeeae ; and the spikes, sometimes solitary and 

 terminal, are more frequently several, either digitate at the end 

 of, or scattered along, the peduncle or axis of the single panicle. 

 The inflorescence is thus nearly that of Paspalum, whilst the 

 spikelets are those of Pestuceje, with the lowest or single perfect 

 flower hermaphrodite, and the awns, when present, terminal and 

 straight, not dorsal or twisted as in Agrosteas and Avenese. The 

 following twenty-seven genera are mostly, but not quite all, tro- 

 pical or subtropical ; the first fifteen have one fertile and only 

 rarely a second male flower in each spikelet ; the next ten have 

 two or more fertile flowers ; all, except a few very small genera or 

 exceptional species, have the rhachilla continued beyond the 

 flowers, and often bearing one or more empty glumes. The last 

 three genera enumerated under the tribe are anomalous dioecious 

 grasses, connecting Ohloridese with the subtribe Sesleriese of Fes- 

 tucese, but showing the inflorescence of the present tribe at least 

 in the male individuals. 



1. MiCEOOHiOA, Br., comprises three species, of which two are 

 endemic in Africa and the third widely spread over the warmer 

 regions of the New as well aa the Old World. They are slender 

 tufted grasses with filiform leaves and single slender terminal 

 spikes and small awnless one-flowered spikelets without any 

 continuation of the rhachilla. 



2. SoHCENEEELDiA, Kunth, is a single tropical-African species 

 with one to four erect spikes at the top of the peduncle ; the 

 spikelets are one-flowered without any continuation of the rha- 

 chilla as in Microehloa, but not so small; and the flowering 

 glumes bearing long capillary awns, give the spikes an elegant 

 crinite aspect. 



3. Octodon, Pers. {Bactilon, Vill., Oapriola, Adans., FibicUa, 



