PLATE 180. 



Trichol^na rosea, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 443). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Perennial or Annual. — Culms laxly fascicled, rarely densely tufted, 

 usually geniculate, 1 to 1|- foot long, simple or scantily branched below, terete, 

 glabrous or sometimes hirsute from tubercle-based hairs, 3 to 4-noded. Sheaths 

 terete or the lower slightly compressed, glabrous except at the villous nodes or 

 hirsute from usually tubercle-based hairs, 3 to 4-noded. Sheaths terete, or the 

 lower slightly compressed, glabrous except at the villous nodes, or hirsute from 

 usually tubercle-based hairs. 



Blades linear, iong tapering to a subsetaceous point, 2 to 8 inches by 1 to 4 

 lines, rarely broader or narrower, flat, often spreading and rather flaccid, rarely 

 convolute, glabrous or sometimes scantily hairy, rough above. 



Panicle oblong to ovoid, lax or contracted, 3 to 6 inches long, straight or 

 flexuous ; rhachis slender, finely scaberulous ; branches fascicled or 2-nate, finely 

 filiform, undivided below or laxly branched almost from the base ; branchlets and 

 pedicels finely capillary, flexuous, glabrous or more or less hairy, scaberulous, tips 

 thickened with long fine hairs (up to 2 lines long). 



Spikelets oblong, about 2 lines long, villous from shining Avhite or purple 

 hairs, shortly bearded at the base. 



Glumes, lower oblong, obtuse, about ^ line long, hyaline, almost hidden by 

 hairs ; upper equalling the spikelet, semi-ovate, more or less gibbous below the 

 middle and slightly narrowed into an oblong beak, obtusely 2-lobed or emarginate, 

 with or without a mucro or a short fine awn from the sinus, subchartaceous, often 

 olive-brown, villous with the hairs increasing iu length from the base to beyond the 

 middle, then glabrous except the ciliate margins ; hairs often springing from 

 minute or sometimes coarse and partly conflaent tubercles, adpressed or sometimes 

 spreading, usually exceeding the tips of the glume. Florets, lower male or barren ; 

 valve equal and very similar to the upper glume ; pale more or less hairy. Perfect 

 floret If line long, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, glabrous ; valve emarginate, faintly 

 5-nerved, membranous. Anthers over f line long. Grain obovoid, brown, f line^ 

 long. 



EaibitSit: Natal. Near Durban, Plant 98; Drakensberg, Rehmann 7175; 

 near Umpumulo and Reit Vlei, common, BucJianmi 298, in part ; without precise 

 locality, Gerrard 461; Buchanan 122; Berea, February, Wood 8881; Berea, 

 September, Wood, 9042. 



A common grass all over the Colony, seeds have been sent to India and other 

 places, and it is thought to be a good fodder grass, but in Natal it does not seem 

 to be much esteemed. It is known abroad as the " Natal Red-top Grass," but it is 

 also found in Transvaal and Cape Colony. The native name is um-Kuana. 



Fig 1, Lower valve ; 2, pale ; 3, upper valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens and lodicules. 

 All enlarged. 



