PLATE 107. 



Trachypogon polymorphus (Hack, in Mart. Fl. Bras. II. iii. 263), var. capensis 

 (Hack. Androp. in DC. Monogr. Phan. vi. 326). 



Culms erect, slender, simple, terete, glabrous, few-noded, l|-8 feet long. 



Leaves mainly crowded near the base. Sheaths terete, tight, generally ex- 

 ceeding the internodes, bearded at the nodes, otherwise glabrous or scantily and 

 fugaciously hairy. Ligules firm, up to 2 lines long. Blades very narrow, .linear, 

 tapering to a long setaceous point, usually convolute, glabrous or hirsute at the 

 base, rarely hairy all over ; 4-10 inches long, ^-2 lines wide. 



Racemes solitary, straight or sub-flexuous, 3-7 inches long. Bhachis sub- 

 terete, glabrous. Male spikelets subsessile, oblong, hairy, 3-4 lines long. Glumes, 

 loiver obtuse or 2-toothed, keels crested, ciliolate, intracarinal nerves about 7, mar- 

 gins very narrowly inflexed ; uppo' linear-oblong, subacute, subglabrous, 3-nerved, 

 margins softly ciliate. Stamens 3. Anthers l|^-2 lines long. Perfect spikelets 

 3|-4-|- lines long. Pedicels very slender, about 1^ line long, scantily long-hairy. 

 Glumes, lower oblong-linear, minutely truncate, ciliate near the membranous 

 reddish tips, otherwise more or less hairy, nerves 8-11, transversely anastomosing, 

 callus 1 line long ; upper lanceolate-linear, obtuse, strongly 3-nerved, scantily 

 hairy above. Awn of upper valve ^^-2^ inches long, softly haiiy with hairs 

 decreasing upwards, or the bristle scabrid. 



HSibitdt : Natal. Umpumulo, Buchanan 153; Biet Vlei, Buchanan 154, 

 155; Inanda, Wood 1621; and without precise locality, Buchanan 125, Gerrarcl 

 476 ; Zululand, Jenldnson 22 ; Zululand, Sivanfield ; Dundee, W. E. Green 77 , 

 80, 91. 



Figured from Swanfield's specimen. 



The plant above described is the only species of the genus, and extends by its 

 many varieties through tropical and sub-tropical America. In Africa it is found 

 from Cape Colony to the Congo, and it also occurs in Madagascar. The twisted 

 awn as shown in the figure was only seen in few specimens ; it appears to be 

 usually straight. 



Fig. 1, Plant about natural size ; 2, rhachis with long and short pedicelled spikelets ; 

 3, long pedicelled spikelet, lower glume ; 4, upper glume ; 5, ovary, style, stigma, stamens and 

 lodicules ; 6, upper valve, short pedicelled spikelet ; 7, lower glume, back view ; 8, same, 

 front view; 9, upper glume; 10, lower valve; 11, stamen, imperfect ovary and lodicule ; 

 12, upper valve. Except fig. 1, all enlarged. 



