PLATE 411. 



DiPLACHNE BiFLORA, Hack. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VIL, p. 593). 



Nat, Order Gramineee. 



Perennial, almost glabrous. — Culms tufted on a short oblique rhizome, erect, 

 1 to 2 feet long, terete, simple, slender, rough below the nodes, about 3-noded, 

 internodes usually enclosed except the uppermost. 



Leaves crowded near the base ; sheaths tight, terete, scaberulous or smooth, 

 firm, the lowest reduced to bladeless scales ; ligule a membranous ciliolate rim ; 

 blades linear, tapering to an acute point, 3 to 7 inches, by 2-3 lines, rigidly erect, 

 flat or convolute, with scattered stiff hairs, particularly near the base, rough on 

 both sides, glaucous. 



Panicle contracted, obovate to linear-oblong, 2 to 6 inches long, glaucous, 

 purplish ; rhachis scabrid, angular ; branches simple, solitary or paired, sub- 

 flexuous, bearing spikelets from the base or almost so, lowest up to 2 inches long. 



Spikelets 2-3-flowered, subsecund, 2-ranked, loiver slightly exceeding the 

 internodes, upper closer, shortly but distinctly pedicelled, about 2^ lines /long. 



Glumes subequal, lanceolate, acute, 2 to 2 J lines long, minutely scabrid; 

 laargins and tips hyaline ; valves up to 2^ lines long, entire, acute or very minutely 

 2-toothed, very shortly awned from below the readily splitting pruinose tips, 

 nerves silky-ciliate to the middle (at least in the lower floret) ; callus minute, 

 acute, bearded ; pales obtuse, not quite 2 lines long, keels scabi-id ; anthers 1 line 

 long ; grain oblong-linear, terete, 1 line long. 



Habitat : Natal. Mountain slopes near Umpumulo, 2500 feet alt., Buchanan 

 282. 



Drawn from Buchanan's 282, the only specimen in the Herbarium. 



A note in the Flora Capensis says : " Rather different from the other species 

 of the genus, and perhaps not a true Diplachne." 



Also in Transvaal and Basutoland. 



Figj 1, Loiver glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve ; 4, pale ; 5, pistil, stamens aud lodicules. 

 All enlarged. 



