PLATE 167. 



Setaria sulcata, Kaddi. (F1. Cap. Vol. VII , p. 421). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Perennial.— Culms erect or ascending from a short, prostrate and rooting 

 base, stout, 5 to 12 feet high, compressed below, sometimes pubescent and scabrid 

 close to the panicle, otherwise usually glabrous and smooth, 5 or more noded, 

 sheathed almost all along or upper internodes exserted ; sheaths long, rather tight, 

 glabrous or hirsute, the lowest strongly compressed, subpersistent ; ligule a densely 

 ciliate rim ; blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate from a long and much attenuate 

 or even petiv)led base, tapering to an acute point, 1 J to 3 feet long, by 1 to Sc- 

 inches broad, closely plicately folded when young, then opening out (folds very 

 numerous), glabrous or hairy, scabrid above towards the tip. 



Panicle linear or linear-oblong, usually interrupted, 1 to more than 2 feet 

 long, often nodding ; axis angular, glabrous or puberulous, scaberulous above ; 

 branches solitary, irregularly approximate or almost whorled, |^ to G inches long, 

 scabrid, spike-like, dense, bearuig fascicles of spikelets below and solitary spikelets 

 above, or the lower with similar' more or less distant branchlets at the base ; 

 bristles solitary, fine, scaberulous, wavy, 1 to 8 inches long, terminating the 

 branches and branchlets and at the base of some or most of the lower and middle 

 spikelets ; pedicels very short, scabrid, tips subdiscoid. 



Spikelets ob'ong, acute, 1 J line long, glabrous, green or tinged with purple. 



Glumes heibaceous-membranous, very broadly ovate, obtuse or subacute, 

 lower 3-nerved, ^ to almost half~as long as the spikelet ; upper 5 to sub-7-nerved, 

 J to f as long as the spikelet. Florets, hirer barren, rarely male, equalling the 

 upper or almost so ; valve ovate-oblong, acute, 5 to sub-7-nerved, of the same 

 texture as the glumes ; pale slightly shorter than its valve or more or less reduced. 

 Perfect floret oblong, acuminate, Ij line long, tips often recurved ; valve sub- 

 coriaceous, 5-nerved, pale or finally brown particularly upwai'ds, smooth or verv 

 obscurely wrinkled. Anthers f line long. 



II&Mta,t : Natal. Near Durban, D/cge ; Berea, March, Wood G'J:i7 ; Zulu- 

 land 1500 feet alt., JenJcinson 54. 



Drawn from specimens gathered on Berea, March. 



Throughout tropical Africa and America. 



This plant was formerly known in Natal as Panicnm cxcurrens, Nees ; it is a 

 common grass on the coast and in the midlands, is usually found at edges and in 

 .light bush ; it is a coarse grass and not liked by cattle, in Natal often called 

 " Buffalo Grass." The figure of the plant in the illustration is much reduced. 

 Mr Jenkinson says of this grass : " Native name ' Ubabe' (Omkulu). Only found 

 in small patches in shady and sheltered spots. Excellent fodder ; keeps green 

 through winter." 



Fifif 1, Fascicle of spikelets ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, lower valve ; 5, pale ; 

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



