PLATE 4'?'5. 



Panicum curvatum, Linn. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p, 414). 



Nat. Order Grarainese. 



Perennial. — Culms ascending from a decumbent or rambling base, very 

 slender, many-noded, glabrous, internodes exserted ; sheaths tight, striate, ciliate 

 along the margins, otherwise glabrous or sparsely hairy ; ligule a very narrow, 

 minutely ciliolate rim ; blades more or less spreading, linear to linear-lanceolate 

 from a strongly and suddenly constricted bafee, tapering to an acute point, 2 to 4 

 inches by 2 to 3 lines, flat, thin, glabrous or sparsely hairy towards the base, 

 smooth, margins scaberulous. 



Panicle erect, contracted and linear or open and ovate, 1 to 3 inches long ; 

 axis slender, smooth ; branches spirally arranged, rather distant, not very numerous, 

 the lower up to 1^ inch long, loOsely divided almost from the base, subcapillary, 

 smooth ; lateral pedicels very short and fine, tips discoid. 



Spikelets curved, semi-ovate to suboblong, acute or obtuse, 1 to 1 j line long, 

 green, strongly nerved. 



Glumes, lower very minute, broadly ovate to orbicular, nerveless ; upper 

 equalling the spikelet, very concave, gibbous below, strongly curved, acute or 

 obtuse, membranous, 9-ribbed. Florets, lower barren ; vaJve oblong or ovate- 

 oblong, obtuse, straight, equalling the lower glume, herbaceous on the sides and at 

 tip, 7-nerved ; perfect floret elliptic-oblong, acute, f line long, strongly convex ; 

 valve chartaceous, very obscurely 5 -nerved ; anthers J line long. 



Eabitdt '. Natal. Between Umzimkulu River and Umkomanzi River, Drege, 

 4252 ; coastland, Sutherland ; near Durban, Williamson^ 30 ; and without precise 

 locality, Gerrard 479. 



Also in the Mascarene Islands and in South India. 



Drawn from Gerrard's specimen, which was kindly lent for the purpose from 



Kew. 



Fig 1, Lower glume ; 2, upperglume ; 3, lower valve ; 4, pale ; .5, upper valve ; 6, pale : 

 7, pistil, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. 



