PLATE 171. 



Setaria pekennis, Hack. (Fl. Cap. Vol. VII., p. 424). 

 Nat. Order Grg-rainese. 



Perennial, densely caespitose. — Culms erect, very slender, 8 to 16 inches 

 long;, slightly compressed below, 'i to 3-noded, simple, finely puberulous or 

 scaberulous close to the panicle, otherwise smooth, internodes enclosed or slightly 

 exserted except the uppermost Sheaths terete, tight, glabrous, or sparingly 

 hairy, lowest very firm, closely and strongly striate, persistent ; ligule a minutely 

 ciliolate rim ; blades erect, very narrow, linear, tapering to a very fine point, 

 usually setaceously convolute, 2 to 8 inches, by ^ to f line (rarely \\ line when 

 expanded), rigid, with scattered very fine spreading hairs. 



Panicle spike-like, cylindric, very dense, f to 2 inches, by 2 to 3 lines ; axis, 

 puberulous ; branches reduced to a single spikelet subtended by a subsessile one- 

 sided involucre of 4 to 6 fine subequal scaberulous bristles, 2 to 3 lines long, 

 purplish or yellow above. 



Spikelets oblong, acuminate, apiculate, \\ line long, pallid, glabrous. 



Glumes membranous, lower broadly ovate, acute or subacute, about half as 

 long as the spikelet or slightly longer, 3-nerved ; iipper ovate-oblong, acute or 

 acuminate, shorter than the spikelet by one-half, 5-nerved ; lower floret male ; 

 valve oblong, acuminate or apiculate, 1^ line long, 5-nerved ; pale slightly shorter 

 than the valve ; perfect floret slightly shorter than the male, elliptic-oblong, 

 apiculate, pallid ; valve very finely and closely transversely wrinkled, 5-nerved, 

 tips obscurely 3-toothed or mucronulate. Anthers over half line long. 



Habitat: Natal Dundee, 4-5000 feet alt., Green {Wood 7357); Dundee, 

 Green 54 {Wood 7361); near Maritzburg, St. George 5a {Wood 7242); near 

 Verulam, 500 feet alt., November, Wood 8647. 



Fig ], Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 8, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, stamens and lodicules ; 

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



