PLATE 132. 



Andropogon Rupbechti (Hack. Andiop. in DC. Monogr. Phan. VI. 645). 



Perennial, (densely tufted. — Culms erect, stout, up to 6 feet long, glabrous, 

 terete, simple or with a leafy branch from one of the uppermost internodes. 

 Sheaths glabrous, pale, striate, tight or somewliat loose, the lowest and those o± 

 the innovation shoots keeled, subpersistent, the upjjer keeled in the upper part, 

 otherwise terete. Ligules membranous, obtuse, up to 1-|- line long. Blades narrow, 

 linear from a riarrow base, tapering to a fine point, ^-1 foot, by l|^-2f lines, 

 flat or revolute along the margins, rigid, glabrous, smooth or scabrid, midrib rather 

 stout. 



Panicle linear to oblong, erect, stiff, up to more than 1 foot long, branches 

 filiform, erect, glabrous, from long narrow glabrous or hairy spathiform sheaths. 

 Spathes very narrow, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 1^-2 inches long, subscarious 

 to almost herbaceous, pale, reddish or greenish, usually glabrous. Common 

 peduncles filiform, strict, glabrous, enclosed. Racemes about 10 lines long, 

 laterally exserted from the spathe, one subsessile with one sessile male spikelet at 

 the base, and one sessile perfect one above, the other peduncled with one sessile 

 perfect, and two pedicelled male spikelets ; peduncle of the upper, and joint of the 

 subsessile raceme, filiform, glabrous, 2, and 1 line long, respectively, each with a 

 hyaline lanceolate 1-2 toothed bract-like appendage about 3 lines long ; lowest 

 pedicel very short, glabrous ; upper up to 2 lines long, very densely and shortly 

 ciliate. Perfect spikelets subcylindric, over 3 lines long, pale, callus very slender, 

 pungent, 1^ line long, densely bearded. Glumes subcoriaceous, glabrous except 

 the hispidulous tips ; lower oblong 2-cuspidate (points up to 1^ line long), finely 

 channelled, inconspicuously 8-10-nerved, margins implicate, sharply so on the 

 extreme tips, otherwise involute ; ui^per lanceolate-oblong, sub-5-nerved. Valves, 

 loiver linear-obtuse, 2^ lines long, 2-nerved, scantily ciliate ; upper slightly 

 shorter, stipitiform, obscurely 2-toothed, hyaline and 3-nerved at the base. Awn 

 2-3 inches long, bent near the middle, rufous pubescent below the bend. Pale 0. 

 Anthers l-l|- line long. Male spikelets narrow, linear-lanceolate, about 5 lines 

 long, glabrous. Glumes, loiver subherbaceous, acute or in the upper spikelets 

 narrowed into a scabrid bristle (up to 2 lines long), 7-11 -nerved, keels spinulously 

 ciliate ; upper 3-nerved, ciliate. Valves subequal, 3-nerved, ciliate. Anthers 

 2 lines long. 



Hdbitat : — Natal. Zululand, Jenki^ison 72 (Wood 7341), 



Figured from Jenkinson's specimen, which is the only one in the Goverimaent 

 Herbarium. 



Also in Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Transvaal and Mexico. 



So far as we are aware this grass has not previoiisly been collected in Natal. 

 The leaves of our specimen are pilose with long white hairs, and similar hairs are 

 found on the peduncle of the 2-nate racemes. Mr. Jenkinson says, " a very good 

 grass for thatching, native name um-Tshaba." 



Fig. 1, Portion of stem, leaves and inflorescence, about natural size ; 2, ligule ; 3, spathe 

 and 2-nate racemes. Sessile spUielet — 4, lower glume, front view ; 4a, same, back view ; 5, 

 upper glume ; 6, lower valve ; 7, upper valve ; 8, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Pedicelled 

 .spikelet — 9, lower glume ; 10, upper glume ; 11, lower valve ; 12, upper valve. Except Jig. 7, 

 mU enlarged. 



