PLATE 177. 



Pennisetum Thunbergii, Kunth. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 436). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Perennial. — Culms from a rather slender rhizome, ascending, conspicuously 

 geniculate, slender, compressed below, f to Ij foot long, about 2-noded, smooth, 

 glabrous or pubescent below the panicle ; upper inter-nodes exserted, uppermost 

 often long. 



Leaves for the naost part crowded at the base, glabrous except a hairy line at 

 the junction of blade and slieath, rarely hairy all over, except towards the base of 

 the sheaths. Sheaths firm, lower short, persistent, striate, keeled or ultimately 

 rounded, upper long, loose or subtumid ; ligule a dense silky fringe of short hairs. 



Blades linear, tapering to an acute point, 2 to 3 inches (rarely more) by 2 to 

 3 lines, keeled and folded or flat and involute, rigid, rather dull green, smooth 

 except towards the tips and along the scaberulous margins. 



Panicle cylindric, very dense, erect, l^- to 2 inches, by 3 to 5 lines, purplish ; 

 rhachis scabrid ; pedicels obsolete ; involucres of very numerous and very fine 

 scaberulous bristles, purplish above, of unequal length, the longer soiaetimes twice 

 as long as the spikelet. 



Spikelets solitary, oblong-lanceolate, 1 J to 2 lines long, pallid, glabrous. 



Glumes, lower suppressed, upper very minute, hyaline, nerveless. Florets, 

 loiver reduced to an ovate acuminate 1 to 3 -nerved valve of about half the length 

 of the perfect floret and usually with a short fine bristle ; fertile valve ovate-oblong, 

 abruptly mucronate, acuminate, 5 to sub-7-nerved ; lodicules or very minute. 

 Anthers about 1 line long, tips minutely bearded ; styles almost free, although 

 often more or less cohering. 



Habitat : Natal Van Eeenen, 5000-6000 feet alt., December, Wood 7220 ; 

 variety Galpinii, without precise locality, 4000 to 5000 feet alt., Buchanan 85. 



Drawn from Wood's 7220, but the anthers had all fallen away. 

 Fig 1, Lower valve ; 2, upper valve ; 3, pale ; 4, pistil and lodicules. All enlarged. 



