PLATE 144. 



DiGITARIA DIAGONALIS (Stapf, FI. Cap. Vol. VII. p. 381). 



Perennial.—- Culms tnifted on a short prsemorse rhizome, erect, rather firm, 

 simple, up to more than 3 feet long; glabrous or hairy below the racemes, 1-3-noded, 

 the uppermost internode by far the longest. Leaves mainly crowded near the base ; 

 lower sheaths rather firm, strongly striate, adpressed hairy to tomentose at the 

 base, persistent, at length breaking, up. into fibres, -upper, thinner,. hairy or glabrous 

 except the bearded nodes, uppermost very long, rather loose ; ligules up to 1^ line 

 long, obtuse or truncate. Blades linear, tapering to a fine point, ^-1 foot long, by 

 2-4 lines wide, flat or with involute margins, rigid or almost flaccid, scabrid, 

 glabrous or softly hairy. 



Racemes 5 to many, solitary or fascicled, on a scabrid or hirsute angular 

 common rhachis of variable length (the whole inflorescence ^-1 foot long), slender, 

 strict or flexuous, erect or more or less spreading, 2-5 inches long, villous at the 

 base. Rhachis subtriquetrous, wavy, very narrow, angular, angles rigidly ciliate, 

 internodes up to 1^ line long. 



8pikelets in fascicles of 3-6, oblong, obtuse to subacute, 1-1;^ line long ; 

 pedicels unequal, up to 1^ line long, setulose, uppermost hairs equalling the spike- 

 lets. Glumes, loiver 0; upper rotundate-ovate, obtuse, ^-|- line long, hyaline, 

 nerveless or 1 -nerved. Valves equal, loiver membranous, whitish, oblong, glabrous, 

 3 -nerved ; upper chartaceous like the 'pale, brown to almost black, somewhat 

 shining. Anthers \ line long. 



ESibitat : — Natal. Near Durban, Drege ; veiy common near Mapumulo, 

 Buchanan 206 ; hill tops near Riet Vlei, 6000 feet alt., Buchanan 207 ; without 

 precise locality, Buchanan 72 ; near Maiitzburg, >S'^. George 34 ; Zululand, 

 Jenkinson 83. 



Drawn from St. George's specimen. 



Fig. 1, Rhachis with pedicels ; 2, upper ghinic ; 3, lower valve : 4, \ippei' valve ; 5, pale ; 

 €, ovarv, styles, stigmas, and lodiciiles. All enlarged. 



