PLATE 424:. 



Eragrostis aspera, Nees. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 628). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Annual.— Culms scantily fascicled, erect or suberect, 2 ^^ I ^^^^ long 

 (excluding the panicle), glabrous, smooth, simple, 2 to 3-noded, internodes usually- 

 enclosed ; sheaths keeled, glabrous, except at the bearded mouth, or sparingly 

 hairy, hairs fine, tubercle-based ; ligule a fringe of long hairs ; blades linear,, 

 tapering to a long setaceous point, 4 inches to more than 1 foot by 2 to 3 lines, 

 flat, flaccid, scabrid on both sides, glabrous. 



Panicle large, very lax and open, thyrsiform, oblong to obovate-oblong, 8 to 

 20 inches long; axis terete, filiform,, smooth below; branches whorled or irregularly 

 approximate, finely filiform to capillary, scabrid, bearded at the callous base, 

 loosely and repeatedly divided from near the base, longest up to 6 inches long ; 

 pedicels very long and fine. 



Spikelets scattered, linear, obtuse, 2| to 4 lines by f to f line, pallid or 

 tinged vs^ith purple, loosely 4 to 16-flowered ; rhachilla very slender, breaking up. 



Glumes subequal, oblong, obtuse, ^ line long, 1 -nerved. Valves obliquely 

 ovate-oblong, truncate, f to f line long, thin, side-nerves prominent, strong. Pales 

 equal to the valves and falling with them, obtuse, keels scabrid. Anthers about ^ 

 line long. Grain globose, about \ line diameter, brown, loose in the somewhat 

 turgid florets. 



Edbit&t : Natal. Near Durban in Cofi'ee Plantations, Drege ; slopes of 

 Tugela, 600 to 1000 feet alt., Buchanmi 257 ; Zululand, Jenkinson 85. 



Drawn from Buchanan's 257. 



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

 All enlarged. 



