Harpechloa, Kunth. 



Spikelets of 3-4 florets sessile, crowded, unilateral, alternately biseriate along the 

 midrib of a flattened rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulating abo\'e the glumes, continuous 

 between the valves, the lower floret hermaphrodite, the following 1 or 2 male, the 

 uppermost barren, rudimentar}'. 



Glumes unequal, the Zot<;er persistent, keeled, very thin 1 -nerved, the upper 

 much longer, oblong, flattened on the back, 2 to 3 -nerved, firm. Hermaphrodite 

 floret about equalling the upper glume. A'^alve folded, obliquely oblong in profile, 

 obtuse, Avhite, thin, 3 -nerved, densely ciliate along the nerves ; callus obscure ; pale 

 slightly shorter, 2 -keeled ; lodicules cuneate, fleshy, almost 3-Avinged ; stamens 3 ; 

 ovary glabrous ; styles distinct ; stigmas slender, plumose, laterally exserted. Upper 

 florets crowded in a club-shaped body, not exceeding the hermaphrodite floret, 

 enveloped by the valve of the lower male floret ; valves 2-nerved or with a trace of 

 the middle nerve near the apex, ciliolate or glabrous ; pales 2-nerved ; stamens 3 or ; 

 ovary usually quite suppressed. Grain free, embraced by the unchanged valve and 

 'pale, oblong, obtusely triquetrous ; embryo ^ the length of the grain ; hilum puncti- 

 form, basal. 



Perennial, densely caaspitose ; leaves firm, folded or convolute abo's-e, more or 

 less curved ; spikes terminal, solitar}', rarely germinate, dark olive-gre}-. 



Species 1, endemic. 



PLATE 434. 



Harpechloa capensis, Kunth. (Fl. Cap., Vol. TIL, p. 639). 



Nat. Order Graminefe. 



Culms erect, | to 2 feet long, compressed below, 2-noded, woolly below the spike, 

 otherwise usually glabrous, upper 2 internodes very long, exserted. 



Leaves mostly crowded at the base ; basal sheaths imbricate, firm, persistent, 

 compressed, keeled, hairy or glabrescent, bearded at the mouth, striate, the uppei'most 

 slightly tumid, glabrous ; ligule a ciliolate rim ; blades linear, acute to obtuse, 3 to 10 

 inches, by J to 1^ line when flattened out, glaucous, glabrous or hairy to woolh', 

 smooth. Spikes 1 to 2|- inches long to 4 lines broad ; rhachis cihate or woolly. 



SpikELETS 3 to 3^ lines long. 



Glumes, lower ovate, acute to obtuse, 1^ to If lines long ; upper 3 to 3J lines 

 long ; valve of the hermaphrodite floret 3 to 3|- lines long ; pale ciliate along the 

 margins and hairy near the tip, kfeels scaberulous ; lodicules ^ line long. Anthers 1 J 

 to 1| line long ; upper valves and anthers smaller. Grain 1 j line long. 



Eabitat : Natal. Near Maritzburg, 1000-2000 feet alt., Krauss 4-45 ; Riet 

 Vlei, 4000-5000 feet alt., Buchanan 178 ; Mooi River, 4000 feet alt.. Wood 7317 ; 

 and without precise locality, Buchanan 57 ; 93. 



Fig 1, A spikelet ; 2, lower glume ; 3, upper glume ; 4, valve ; 5, pale ; 6, pistil, stamens 

 and lodicules ; 7, second valve ; 8, pale ; 9, stamens ; 10, third valve ; 11, pale. All enlarged. 



