PLATE 165. 



Oplismenus africanus, Beauv. (F1. Cap. Vol. VII., p. 417). 



Nat. Order Graminese, 



Perennial. — Culms ascendino; from an often long decumbent rooting base, 1 

 to 1|- foot high, slightly compressed below; sheaths rather tight, strongly striate, 

 finely villous or ciliate along the outer margin, otherwise glabrous except a trans- 

 verse villous line at the junction with the blade (in the African specimens), rarely 

 more or less hirsute ; ligules up to J line long ; blades lanceolate from a slightly 

 rounded base, acuminate, 2 to 5 inches by 4 to 7 lines (those of the lower leaves 

 and barren shoots often much smaller and ovate-lanceolate), flat, thin, dull green, 

 soft, scantily and minutely hairy to almost velvety belo-.v, scaberulous above, at 

 least upwards, margins scabrid. 



Racemes 3 to 8 on an erect straight or flexuous, more or less 3-winged 

 glabrous or finely hairy axis, the lower distant, erect or obliquely spreading, 3 to 9 

 lines long, rarely longer, the upper closer, much shorter or reduced to 2 or 3- 

 spiculate clusters, the axis usually terminated by a solitary spikelet ; rhachis of 

 racemes straight, triangular, dorsally flat, greyish from very minute adpressed 

 hairs, usually fringed with tubercle-based bristles (in the African specimens), 

 tomentose or hispid at the base. Pedicels 2-nate or solitary, very short and stout, 

 usually with a few bristles. 



Spikelets ovate-oblong about Ij line long, greyish-green or green, minutely 

 bearded at the base. 



Glumes subequal, 1 to 1|- line long, thinly herbaceous, ovate to elliptic, 

 produced into filiform subobtuse smooth more or less viscous, often purplish awns, 

 hairy at least near the margins, rarely quite glabrous, loiver 5-nerved, awn 3 to 

 6 lines long, upper 7 to 5-nerved, awn 1 to 2 lines long. Florets loiver barren, 

 rarely male, equalling the spikelet. Valve 9 to 7-nerved, obscurely or shortly 

 mucronate Perfect floret lanceolate-oblong, acute or obscurely cuspidate, 1 to l^ 

 line long, whitish, •smooth, shining. Valve coriaceous, 7-nerved. Anthers f to g^ 

 line long. Grain 1 line long. 



Edbitat : Natal Between the Umzimkulu and Umkomaas Rivers, Drege 

 433f) ; between Mapumulu and Riet Vlei, 2000 to 5000 feet alt., Buchanan 219 ; 

 and without precise locality, Cooper 3378; var. simplex, Inanda, 1800 feet alt.. 

 Wood 1306. 



Drawn from Buchanan's 219. 

 Usually found in shady woods. 



Fij^ 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, stamens and lodicules ; 

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



