PLATE 160. 



Panioum coloratum, Linn. (F\. Cap. Vol. VIT, p. 409). 



Nat. Order Gramine£e. 



Perennial. — Culms erect or ascending from a geniculate, often decumbent 

 and branched base, rather stout, 2 feet or more long, glabrous, 4 to 8-noded, inter- 

 nodes more or less exserted ; sheaths striate, glabrous or more or less hirsute, with 

 tubercle-based hairs, the upper rather tight ; ligule a membranous minutely or 

 obscurely ciliate rim ; blades linear to lanceolate-linear from a usually widened 

 and rounded base, tapering to an acute point, 5 to 8 inches, by 2J to 4|- lines, flat, 

 suberect, slightly rigid or sometimes flaccid, glabrous or sparsely hairy, glaucous or 

 subglaucous, margins smooth or scaberulous, more or less tubercled towards the 

 base. 



Panicle erec+ or nodding, lax, 4 to 9 inches long, up to 6 inches broad when 

 fully expanded ; axis very slender, smooth, at least below ; branches solitary, 

 opposite or 2-4-nate, distant, the lowest 4 to 7 inches long, filiform to capillary, 

 straight or flexuous, loosely divided from ^ to 2j inches above the base, scaberulous 

 or smooth beloAV. Pedicels solitary or 2-uate, unequal, the longer 1 to l^ line 

 with cupular tips. 



Spikelets scattered or in scattered clusters, or more or less approximate, 

 oblong, acute, 1 to 1^ line long, glabrous, green or purple. 



Glumes, loiver very broadly ovate, acute, up to J line long, 3 to sub-5-nerved ; 

 upper one oblong, subacute, prominently 7-nerved. Florets, loiver one male ; 

 valve like the upper glume, sometimes very slightly longer, 9-nerved ; perfect 

 floret narrow, oblong, subacute, almost 1 line long, yellowish, shining, smooth ; 

 valve 7-nerved ; anthers f to * line long. 



Eabitat : Natal. Banks of Tugela River, 600 feet, Buchanan 262. 



Also in Bechuanaland, Transvaal, Nyassaland, Lower Zambesi, and Egypt. 



Drawn from Buchanan's specimen, which is very imperfect, but the only one 

 we have. 



'i'he spikelets are very similar to those of P. repens, but ou the whole smaller. 

 This, together with the mode of growth and the more graceful and ampler rami- 

 fication of the panicle, makes the distinction of P. coloratum from broad leaved 

 forms of P. repens easy. P. coloratum of Jacquin (Ic. 1, 12), which is often 

 quoted as synonymous with P. coloratum, Linn, is identical with P. virgatum, 

 Linn, an American plant. 



Fig. 1, Lowftr glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, stamens and lodicnles ; 

 6, upper valve ; 7, pale ; 8, stamens, pistil and lodicules. All enlarged. 



