PhATlE, 47*6. 



Panicum hymeniochilum, Nees, (FI. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 399). 

 Nat. Order Gramlneae. 



Culms decumbent, very slender and weak, 1 to 1^ foot long, more or less 

 finely hairy or glabrescent, many-noded, branched from some or most of the nodes, 

 internodes exserted. 



Leaves finely hairy ; sheaths thin, rather tight, at length often loose and 

 thrown aside, strongly striate, tubercled between the nerves ; ligule an obscure 

 ciliolate rim ; blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, tapering almost from the broad 

 clasping base to a fine point, 1 to 3 inches, by 1^ to 3 lines, flat, flaccid, margins 

 scabrid, sometimes callously serrulate, and often with a few bristles towards the 

 base. 



Panicles very scanty, flaccid, 1 to 1^ inch long, consisting of few 5-2-spiculate 

 short branches, up to J inch long ; axis, branches and pedicels filiform, angular, 

 finely hairy or glabrescent, sub-scaberulous, lateral pedicels very short. 



Spikelets oblong, subobtuse, Ij line long, greenish, glabrous, finely but 

 prominently nerved. 



Glumes, lower lanceolate to subulate from a broader base, 1 -nerved, hyaline, 

 equalling J of the spikelet ; upper one thinly herbaceous, oblong, subobtuse, 1 line 

 long, 7 to 9-nerved. Florets, lower male ; valve like the upper glume, l^- line 

 long, 7 to 9-nerved ; pale slightly shorter, keels scabrid above, evanescent below 

 the hyaline tip ; perfect floret oblong, subobtuse, 1 line long, smooth, whitish ; 

 valve thinly chartaceous, 5-nerved ; anthers | line long. 



Var. glandulosum, Nees. — More robust ; blades up to 3 inches by 3 lines, 

 more densely hairy to villous ; panicle obtong to ovate, up to 3 inches long, much 

 more divided ; axis, branches and branchlets with scattered gland-tipped hairs, 

 branches suberect or spreading, up to more than 1 inch long ; pedicels longer ; 

 spikelets more scattered. 



HabitSLt : Natal. Between the Umzimkulu River and the Umkomanzi 

 River, Drege 4:2i7 ; var. glandulosum, near the Qmlazi River, below 200 feet, 

 Drege 4292 ; on the Flats near Durban, Drege 4248 ; coastland, Sutherland. 



Our drawing was copied from one made by Miss M. Smith at Kew, and kindly 

 sent to us by the Director. 



Fig 1, Whole plant {Drege 42'L7) ; 2, inflorescence (Drege 4292) ; 3, branchlets ; 4, two 

 spikelets ; 5, lower glume ; 6, upper glume ; 7, valve of male floret ; 8, pale of male floret ; 

 9, valve of perfect floret ; 10, pale ; 11, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Figs 1 and 2 natural 

 size, remainder enla^'cfed. 



