PLATE 459. 



Bromts leptoclabus, Nees. (Fl. Cup. Vol. A^II., p. 731). 



Xat. Order Graininea*. 



Perennial. — Ci^lms erect or suberect from a short oblique rhizome, rather stout, 

 to more than 2 feet high, glabrous or pubescent, particularly close to the nodes, about 

 4-noded, uppermost internode to more than 1 foot long, exserted. 



Leaves usually scantily and spreadingly hairj or almost |^labrous ; sheaths tight, 

 striate or sulcate, lo\Yest thin, subper si stent, not breaking up into fibres ; ligules 

 hyaline, 1 to 2 lines long. Blades linear, tapering to an acute point, 6 to 10 inches by 



2 to 5 lines, flat, subflaccid, dull or sometimes subglaucous, strongl}' striate, scaberulous 

 to scabrid or almost smooth below, margins scabrid, midrib prominent below, whitish. 



Panicle 6 to 9 inches long, erect, very lax ; axis slender, striate ; branches 3 to 

 2-nate, fihform, scabrid, A-ery flexuous, up to 5 inches long, undivided to about the 

 middle, then very scantily di^'ided, branchlets 3 to 1-spiculate ; pedicels very unequal, 

 lateral often much shorter than the spikelets. 



Spikelets linear-oblong, 8 to 15 hnes long, light green, more or less erect, very 

 loosely 5 to 10-flowered ; rhachilla very slender, joints scabrid, up to If line long. 



Gluiies unequal, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate in profile, acute to subacute, 

 subscarious, lover 2^ to 4 lines long, 1 -nerved, iipper broader, 3 J to 4J lines long, 

 3-nerved, nerves strong and scabrid. A'alves oblong-linear in profile, 4|- to 6 lines 

 long, scaberulous or scabrid on the nerves, prominently 7 -nerved, margins almost 

 straight to or beyond the middle, then ver}' gradually curved towai'ds the short 

 very minutely 2-fid tip, very narroAV ; awn very close to the tip, fine, straight, 

 scaberulous, 2 to 3 lines long. Pales 4 to 5 lines long, keels rigidly ciholate. Stamens 



3 ; anthers about 1 to IJ line long. Ovary pubescent close below the appendage ; 

 grain when immature linear, strongly con-s'-exo-concave. 



E&hitsA : Natal. Riet Mei, 5000 feet alt., Buchanan 236. 



Closely allied to the European B. asper, Murr. and B. scabridiis, Hooh, from 

 Camer-oon Peak, and particularly to B. cognatiis^ Steud, from Abyssinia. 



Drawn from Buchanan's specimen, which was without leaves, and no stamens 

 or lodicules were to be found. 



Fig 1, Lo^^er glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, valve; 4, pale ; 5, grain. AU enlarged. 



