PLATE 474. 



Panicum miliare, Lam. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 408). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Annual. — Culms erect or geniculate, 1 to 3 feet long, glabrous, 3 to 5-noded, 

 usually with flowering branches from some of the nodes. 



Leaves glabrous, very rarely more or less hirsute with tubercle-based hairs ; 

 sheaths loose, strongly striate, smooth, longer or shorter than the internodes ; 

 ligules very short, truncate, ciliolate ; blades linear from a usually broader and 

 rounded base, tapering to an acute point, |- to almost 2 feet, by 2 to 7 lines, flat, 

 flaccid. 



Panicle erect or nodding, contracted, narrow, decompound, lax or dense, J to 

 1 foot long; axis slender, striate, smooth; branches alternate, 2 or 3-nate, the 

 lower rather distant, filiform, angular, scaberulous, the longest 2^ to more than 6 

 inches long, undivided for J to 2^ inches, often nodding, branchlets and pedicels 

 contracted, the latter very unequal, very short or up to ^ inch long, scabrid, tips 

 slightly thickened. 



Spikelets subturgid, ellipsoid or oblong, more or less acute, l\ to if line 

 long, glabrous, green or purplish. 



Glumes, lower very broadly ovate, clasping, acute or subacuminate, J to almost 

 ^ the length of the spikelet, about 3-nerved ; upper oblong, subacuminate, very 

 concave; ij to if line long, 11 to 13-nerved. Lower floret barren, valve like the 

 upper glume, but 9-nerved ; pale subequal, narrow, 2-keeled. Perfect florets oblong, 

 acute, 1 line long, smooth, shining, pallid or brownish ; valve coriaceous, 7-nerved, 

 anthers ^ line long. 



Esibit&t '. Natal. Between Umzimkulu and Umkomanzi Rivers, Drege. 



Commonly cultivated all over India, and possibly originated from P. psilopodmm, 

 Trin., an equally common Indian grass. * 



Drawn from a specimen kindly lent by the Director of the Royal Gardens at 

 Kew. The specimen was gathered in South Coucan by Mr. Law. 



Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upper glume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; 5, fertile yalye ; 6, pale ; 

 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged, 



