PLATE 473. 



Panicum Ojrus-galli, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 397). 



Nat. Order Gramlnese. 



Annual. — Colms geniculately ascending, compressed below, 1 to 3 feet high, 

 glabrous, smooth, 3 to 5-noded, sheathed all along or the internodes at length more 

 or less exserted, often branched below ; sheaths striate, smooth, the lower often 

 strongly compressed, whitish, glabrous except the lowest, which are pubescent at 

 the very base ; ligules 0, junction of blade and sheath glabrous inside. Blades 

 linear from a scarcely narrowed base, tapering to an acute point, 3 to 8 inches by 3 

 to 6 lines, flat, subflaccid, glabrous, more or less glaucous, smooth above, scaberulous 

 below, particularly towards the tip, margins flneiy cartilaginous, scabrid to almost 

 smooth, midrib narrow. 



Panicle erect, strict, or flexuous, 3 to 8 inches long ; axis triquetrous, 3 to 

 5-angled, scabrid; branches few to about 15, solitary or 2-nate, suberect or 

 spreading, distant except the uppermost, the lower 1 to 2^ inches long, forming 

 rather stout, dense, simple or subsimple, subsecund, sessile false spikes ; rhachis 

 triquetrous, scabrid, coarsely bristly, particularly near the nodes. Pedicels fascicled 

 or .2-nate, very short, up to J line long, scabrid, bristly at the base, tips obscurely 

 discoid. 



Spikelets crowded, ovoid-ellipsoid, cuspidate, 1^ to Ij line long, greenish or 

 tinged with purple. 



Glumes, lower membranous, very broadly ovate, clasping at the base, obtuse 

 to subcuspidate, ^ line long, 5-nerved, scaberulous ; upper herbaceous-membranous, 

 very broadly ovate-oblong, concave, acute or cuspidate, 1|- line long, 5- (or near 

 the tips) 7-nerved, rigidly pubescent between the scabrid and spinulous nerves. 

 Florets, lower barren ; valve similar to the upper glume, but flat or depressed on 

 the back ; cuspidate or produced into a scabrid, often long, awn, 7-nerved through- 

 out or only towards the tips ; pale elliptic, shorter by |- than the valve, keels 

 scaberulous above ; perfect floret elliptic-ovate, cuspidate, over 1 line long, whitish 

 or yellowish, smooth ; valve subcoriaceous, 5-nerved. Anthers oblong, scarcely § 

 line long ; grain broadly elliptic, f line long. 



ESLbitdt : Natal. Near Durban, Williamson ; Buchanan 3 ; Berea, Wood 8883. 



Fig 1. Lower glume; 2, upper glume; 3, lower valve; 4, pale; 5, upper valve and 

 pale ; 6, pale ; 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. 



