PLATE 159. 



Panxcum prolifebum, Lam. var. loiigijubatum, Stapf. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 



VII., p. 406). 



Nat. Order Gramineas. 



Perennial (?) tufted. — Culms erect or geniculate, very stout, spongy below, 

 about 4 feet long, glabrous, smooth, many-uoded, sheathed all along, or the upjjer 

 nodes exserted, subsimple ; sheaths loose, striate, glabrous ; ligules, very short, 

 membranous, densely ciliate ; blades linear, long tapering to an acute point, up to 

 1 foot by 2 to 4 lines flat, smooth below, very scabrid above, sometimes with a few 

 fine hairs, midrib whitish. 



Panicle erect or nodding, decompound, narrow or rather open, large, 10 to 14 

 inches long ; axis slender, sulcate, scabrid, at least upwards ; branches subopposite, 

 or partly solitary or the lower 3-4-nate at very unequal distances, the longest 6 to 

 10 inches long, undivided for 1 to 2 inches from the base, remotely branched 

 filiform, subflexuous and, like the very fine branchlets, angular and usually very 

 scabrid ; pedicels usually 2-nate, unequal, suberect, the longer up to 2|- lines long, 

 tips slightly thickened. 



Spikelets oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, scarcely compressed, 

 1^ line long, greenish. 



Glumes, loiver hyaline, whitish, broadly clasping at the base, truncate, ^ to 

 % line long, obscurely 3 to 5-nerved ; upper one thinly membranous below, 

 oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute to subacuminate, 1|- line long, prominently 7 

 to U-nerved. Florets, loiver barren, valve like the upper glume ; pale ob'ong sub- 

 acute, 2-keeled, 1 line long ; perfect floret narrowly oblong, acute, up to 1 line 

 long, smooth, shining, yellowish ; valve subcoriaceous, 7-nerved ; anthers J line 

 long. Grain over |- line long, white. 



Eabit&t : Natal Near the Umzimkulu River, Drege ; common near Um- 

 pumulo, Buchanan 267 ; near Durban, Williamson 21 ; Zululand, Jenhinson 63 

 ( Wood 7340). 



Drawn from Jenkinson's specimen. 



A polymorphous species inhabiting India, South Africa, and the Atlantic side 

 of America from Maine to the Argentine ; elsewhere very rare and apparent y 

 introduced. The typical form occurs only in the Atlantic States of North America, 

 and is distinguished by its annual duration, rather low growth, prolific ramification, 

 and scantier nervation of the spikelets, the upper glume being 7 and the lower 

 only 5-nerved. 



Var. longijuhatum occurs also on the River Shire in Nyassaland, whilst var. 

 paludosum is common through India, in marshes and still waters. 



Mr. Jenkinson says of it : " Grows in separate tufts." 



Fig. 1, Lower glume; 2, lower valve; 3, pale; 4, upper valve ; 5, pale; 6, ovary and 

 lodicules. AH enlarged. 



