PLATE 141. 



DiGiTARiA SANGUiNALis (Scop. Fl. Cam. ed. II.; 52.) Fl. Cap. Vol. VII. p. 378. 



Annual. — Culms ascending from a geniculate or prostrate, often rooting, 

 branched base, 1 to several feet long, glabrous, few to many noded, upper node by- 

 far the longest. Leaves glabrous or hairy ; sheaths thin, herbaceous, loose, some- 

 times bearded at the nodes ; ligules truncate, up to more than 1 line long. Blades 

 linear-lanceolate to linear, acute, 1-5 inches long by 2-4 lines wide, flat, flaccid, 

 margins scabrid. 



Racemes few to many, subdigitate, solitary or 2-3-nate on a short angular 

 scaberulous common axis, erect or spreading, rather stout for the genus, usually 

 strict, 1-6 inches long, often finely villous at the base ; rhachis triquetrous, lateral 

 angles winged, scabrid, internodes over 1 line long ; pedicels 2-nate, one very 

 short, the other up to f line long, triquetrous, seabrid. 



Spikelets oblong, acute, 1-1|- line long, greenish or purplish. Glumes, Zoi(;er 

 ovate, acute, about ^ line long ; upper ovate-lanceolate, acute, equalling ^ or less 

 of the upper valve, 3-nerved, with lines of extremely fine adpressed silky hairs 

 between the nerves and along the margins. Valves, lower oblong-acute, 7-nerved, 

 the inner lateral nerves somewhat distant from the middle nerve, very prominent, 

 the outermost submarginal, faint lines of very fine adpressed silky hairs along the 

 margins and often also between the lateral nerves ; upper subchartaceous, oblong, 

 subacuminate or acute, greenish or purplish, slightly shorter than the lower valve. 

 Anthers up to ^ line long. 



Habitat: — Natal. Near Durban, Williamson, 10; Berea, 100 feet alt., 

 Wood 5998. 



Drawn from Wood's specimen, which is the only one in the Government 

 Herbarium. 



Fig. 1, Ligule ; 2, rhachis with 2-nate pedicels ; 3, upper ghinie ; 4, lower valve, back 

 view ; 5, upper valve, front view ; 6, same, back view ; 7, pale, front view ; 8, same, back 

 view ; 9, ovary, styles, stigmas, stamens and lodicnles. All enlarged. 



