PLATE 457. 



Festuca SCAT3RA, Vahl. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VIL, p. 722). 



Nat. Order Graminea}. 



DicECIous, compactly ca^spitose ; innovation shoots intravaginal. — CrLiis erect, 

 ^ to 3 feet lonf:^^ rather robnst, smooth, ^'ery rarely scabernlous, l-2-no(ied, nppermost 

 internode lonfi; exserted. 



Leaves ci'owded at the base ; basal sheaths broad, firm, open to the base, breaking 

 np at length and forming dense tight coats of fibres, smooth ; npper sheaths rather 

 tight, gradually longer, striate, smooth, rarely scabrid to ^-ery scabrid ; ligules ovate, 

 obtuse, up to 1| line long ; blades convolute in bud, then open or involute when dry, 

 linear, acute, 3 to 8 inches by 1|- to 3 lines, firm, usually rather rigid, 9 to 13-nerved, 

 smooth below, scabrid above or rarelj" very scabrid all over, nerves prominent on the 

 upper side. 



Paxicle very narrow, dense, often spike-like, sometimes interrupted, straight or 

 slightly nodding, 3 to 8 inches long ; rhachis terete, striate and smooth below, angular 

 and scabrid to hispidulous above ; branches 2-nate or solitary, sparingly to abundantly 

 and very closely divided from the base or rarely undivided for a few lines ; branchlets 

 and pedicels very short, scabrid. 



Spikelets densely crowded, oblong, 4-5 lines long, green, often tinged with 

 purple, or glaucescent, closely 4 to 6 -flowered ; florets unisexual with the rudiments 

 of the other sex. 



Glumes unequal to subequal, linear-lanceolate in profile, acute to subobtuse, 

 firmly herbaceous except at the hyaline margins, smooth or scaberulous, lower usually 

 shorter, IJ to 2.2 lines long, 1 -nerved, upper If to 3 lines long, 3-nerved. "A'alves 

 oblong, acute or subacute, sometimes mucronulate, 2f to 3J lines long, scaberulous at 

 least in the upper part, distinctly 5-nerved. Pales minutely 2-toothed or entire, keels 

 stout, scabrid ; lodicules ovate, acute. Anthers 1|- line long, on fine long filaments in 

 the male, very minute and empty and on very short delicate filaments in the female. 

 Ovary obovoid, very densely villous from the middle upwards, mth rather short 

 loosely plumose stigmas in the female, quite rudimentary in the male ; grain oblong, 

 dorsally compressed, subconcaA'e in front, 2 J lines long ; embryo short ; hilum filiform, 

 f to 5 the length of the grain. 



Esibit&t '. Natal. Near Newcastle, 4000 feet alt., Buchanan 185. 



As no specimen of this grass was in our collection, the Director of Kew Gardens 

 and Herbarium very kindly lent us two specimens, one being from Natal, the other 

 a Cape specimen ; as the Natal specimen was male only, from these two conjointly the 

 drawing and dissections were made. 



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

 from female plant ; 6, same, from male plant. All enlarged. 



