PLATE 133. 



Anthistiria imberbis (Retz, Obs. iii. 11.) 



Perenxial, densely tufted ; innovation shoots intravaginal. — CrLM« erect or 

 geniculate and ascending, 1-;] feet long, rather slender, glabrous, simple or branched. 

 Sheaths compressed, keeled, firm, glabrous or the lower sometimes hairy and 

 bearded at the nodes, exceeding the internodes, except the upper. Ligules 

 membranous, very short, obtuse or truncate, ciliolate. Blades linear, long tapering 

 to a fine point, 2-8 inches long, by 'l-2l, lines broad, very rarely broader, flat, 

 rather rigid, glabrous or hairy below. 



Panicle narrow, often nodding, .3-6 inches long, scantily branched, branches 

 solitary, or the upper 2-3-nate, filiform, glabrous, bearing capituHform, usually 

 dense, fascicles of racemes, yjnithes lanceolate, obtusely acuminate, about 1 inch 

 long, rarely longer, usually l)earded at the base, glabrous or hairy, greenish or 

 reddish. Racemes 6-9 lines long. 



Involucral spikelets whorled, sessile, persistent, lanceolate, acute (jr acuminate, 

 3J-5 lines long, rarely longer, glabrous or with scattered, short, tubercle-based 

 hairs, male ; their lower glumes not, or very obscurely winged on one side only. 

 Valves, lower generally present. PediceJlrd spikelets linear-lanceolate, glabrous, 

 on short glabrous or subglabrous jjedicels. Perfect sjnl-elet 1, not exserted from 

 the involucre, linear-oblong, subcylindric, 2j-.3^ lines long, callus pungent, up to 

 1|- line long, glabrous in front, other-wise densely bearded with shining reddisb or 

 purplish hairs. Glumes, loirer obtuse or emarginate, smooth and shining except 

 the rigidly pubescent or scabrid tip, obscurely 7-9-nerved ; ifpi>er glabrous. 

 Valves, lower glabrous, somewhat shorter than the glumes ; a\A'n of upper valve 

 2^ inches long. Anthers 1 line long. Grain about 2 lines long. 



EaMtdt : — Natal. Bank of Tugela Ri^er (a form with very broad leaves), 

 Bitchauaii 227 ; between Umzimkulu and Umkomaas 'RWeTS, Drege ; near Dun- 

 dee, Green, var. ; Mooi River, 4-5000 feet alt. Mason 23, partly ; Dundee, 4-5000 

 feet alt., Ureen 44 ; Mooi River, Mason 42, 47 ; Zululand, Jeid-iiisoti 28 ; near 

 Maritzburg, St. Georc/e. 



Drawn from Green's specimen. 



This species or some of its varieties are found throughout the tropics of the 

 Old World. Jenkinson says of his No. 28, which is a variety of the species : 

 '.' Native name Insinda, hill tops and upland slopes, one of the most useful grasses 

 for all kinds of stock in spring and summer, gets very dry in winter." 



Fig. 1, Portion of plant and inrtorescence, natural size ; 2, lig-nle ; 3, raceme. Pedkelkd 

 spikelet — 4, lower glume. Inrohvi-dl spi/telef — 5, l()\ver glume ; 6, upper glume ; 7, lower 

 valve. Sessile spikelet— 8, h'wer glume; 9, upper ghime ; 10, lower valve; 11, upper valve 

 with portion of awn ;. 12, pistil, sttaineiis and lodieide. Except Jig. 1, all enlarged. 



