ChOSSOTROI'18, Staj)f. 



Spikeleth lateviiU}' compressed, subsessile, more or less, distinctl}- 2-ranked on 

 the rigid simple branches of a panicle ; rhachilla slender, disarticulating above the 

 glumes and betAveen the Aahes. Florets, 3 to 9, perfect or the uppermost more or 

 less reduced, equalling the glumes or slightly cxserted, or oNcrtopped by the awn-like 

 tips of the glumes. 



(iLUJiKS subequal or equal, narrow, membranous, stroiigh" 1 -nerved, keeled, 

 persistent. Valves somewhat distant, linear-oblong in profile, shortly 2-lobed, nmcro- 

 nate or shortly awned froui the sinus, membranous, 8-nerved, side-nerves sub-marginal, 

 subpercurrent, rigidly ciliate, margins infiexed ; callus small, hairy. Pales narrow, 

 2-keeled, slightly shorter than the valves. Lodicules 12, cuneate, small. Stamens 3. 

 Ovary glabrous. St}'les distinct, very slender ; stigmas plumose, lateralh' exserted. 

 drain oblong, strongly compressed from the back, concave or flat, eiiclosed by the 

 slightly altered Aalve and pale ; embrj'o about ^ the length of the grain ; hilum basal, 

 punctiform. 



Annual or i'krkxmal; blades usually flat ; ligules hyaline; ])anicle contracted 

 and narrow, or open with the branches spreading at right aiigbs ; sjnkelets rather 

 close to very distant, the up])erm()st terminal. 



Sjjecies o, in Africa and Arabia. 



PLATE 443. 



CiiossoTKOPis GRANDiGLUMis, Rendle. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 649\ 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



PKliKNNiAJ.. — CuLMH tuftcd, crcct or geniculate, |- to \^ foot long, glabrous, 

 smooth, terete or shghtly compressed, 2-3-noded, u])per hiternodes finally exserted. 



Leavks cro\\'ded near tlie base ; sheaths glabrous, or xavy rarely "v\"ith scattered 

 fine long spreading hairs, rather firm, striate, the upper scabrid, the lotver smooth ; 

 ligules truncate, up to f line long ; blades linear, shortly tapering to an acute (often 

 subpungent) point, 1 to 2^ niches, by 1|- to 2^ lines, flat or subulately convolute, 

 glabrous, scabrid all over. 



Panicle 4 to G inches, by 4 to 9 lines when ripe, straight ; rhachis angular, 

 scabrid or hisj^idulous ; branches simple, singly or 2-3 close together, straight, 2 to 5 

 niches long, at first erect, at length spreading at right angles, hispidulous, villous at 

 the base. 



Si-IKELETS 3 to 5-flowered, distant by )nore than their own length, adpressed, 

 shortly ])edicelled, 3^ to 5 lines long ; rhachilla minutely pilose. 



(iij-UMES lanceolate, subulate-acuminate, scaberulous, 3|- to 5 lines long. Valves 

 oblong, shortly bilobed, mucronate, up to 2 lines long, side-nerves rigidlv ciliate. 

 Pales truncate, finely pubescent on the back, keels scabrid. Anthers up to ^ line 

 long, (irain narrowly oblong, flat, over 1 hne long. 



Habitat: Natal. Sandy valley near Tugela, 1000 feet alt., Buchanan 279 

 This grass was formerly known as Lasluchloa (/mnd/yluiuis, and it would 

 seem to be more conunoii in the uplands than in the coast districts, wc have not met 

 with it. Tlie oidy specimen in the Herbarium is Buchanan's 279, and is a A'ery poor 

 one, but the Director of the lioyal (iardens and Herbarium at Xew \erv kindly lent 

 us a better one of Buchanan's same gathering for the purpose of completing the 

 drawing. » 



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

 All enlarged. 



