PLA.TE 105. 



RoTTBCELLiA COMPEESSA (Linn. £ Suppl. 114), var. fasciculata (I^ack. Androp. 

 in DC. Monogr. Phan. vi. 286). 



Perennial. — Culms erect from a decumbent rooting base, branched, com- 

 pressed, glabrous, 1-5 feet long. Sheaths shorter than the internodes, compressed,, 

 keeled, often ciliate at the mouth, otherwise glabrous. Ligules membranous, very- 

 short, ciliate. Blades linear, gradually tapering, acute, very variable in length 

 and width, uppermost almost suppressed, somewhat rigid, glabrous. 



Racemes often fascicled, rather stout, straight or curved, with the appearance 

 of true spikes owing to the pedicels of the upper spikelets being adnate to the 

 contiguous joint ; more or less fragile. 



Spikelets linear-oblong to oblong, 3-3^ lines long, glabrous. Glumes equal, 

 loiver coriaceous, constricted below the obtuse tips, or in the pedicelled spikelet 

 more acumiiiate, finely 7-9-nerved; ttppe'j' broadly lanceolate, acuminate, membranous 

 and 3-nerved in the sessile, sub-chartaceous, and 5-7-nerved in the pedicelled 

 spikelets. Valves sub-equal, nerveless, 2-2 J lines long. Pale linear, 1-1;^ line 

 long, lodicules 2, cuneate. Stamens 3. Anthers 1-1|^ line long. Stigmas generally 

 laterally exserted. Grain broadly oblong. 



H&bitat : Natal. By the Umlaas River, Krauss ; by streamlets near Umpu- 

 mulo, Buchanan 198 ; without precise locality, Buchanan 74 ; Gerrard Q77 ; near 



Dundee, W. E. Green 31 ; near Durban, Wood 7526. 



■* 



Figured from Wood's specimen No. 7526. 



Throughout the warm countries of both hemispheres, in many localities evi- 

 dently introduced. The type through India to S.W. China. Of this grass Baron 

 F. V. Mueller says : — " This perennial grass, though somewhat harsh, is recommend- 

 able for moist pastures, and will retain a beautiful green throughout the year in 

 dry climes ; highly esteemed by graziers in Gippsland ; it is not injured by moderate 

 frost." Mr. Cellier of Dundee says that it is good for pasture. 



Fig. 1, Portion of plant, natural size ; 2, rhachis with sessile and pedicelled. spikelets ; 

 3, lower glume ; 4, upper glume of sessile spikelet ; 4a, upper glume of pedicelled spikelet ; 

 5, lower valve ; 6, upper valve ; 7, pale ; 8, ovary, style, stigmas, stamens, and lodicules. 

 Except Jig. 1, all enlarged. 



