PLATE 478. 



Panicum chusqueoides, Hack. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 400). 



Nat. Order Gramirieae. 



Perennial. — Culms divaricately branched, rambling, very slender, 2 feet 

 long, glabrous, many-noded, internodes exserted ; sheaths very tight, terete, 

 glabrous or ciliate along the margins, sometimes scantily dotted with tubercles ; 

 ligules very short, truncate, obscurely ciliate ; blades spreading, linear-lanceolate 

 from a broad rounded and suddenly contracted subpetiolate base, 2 to 3 inches by 

 2 to 4 lines, flat, thin, very finely nerved, glabrous, smooth, margins scabrid. 



Panicle up to 5 inches long, consisting of 3 to 5 distant, suberect or 

 spreading, glabrous, filiform angular branches, which are up to 2 inches long, and 

 bear spikelets from 1 to 3 lines above the base ; pedicels solitary or 2-nate, unequal, 

 one very short, the other up to 1^ line long, angular, smooth. 



Spikelets oblong, acute, Ij to If line long, greenish, glabrous. 



Glumes, lower hyaline above, herbaceous below, rotundate-ovate, very obtuse, 

 equalling J to |- of the spikelet, 3- nerved ; upper glume thinly herbaceous, oblong, 

 subapiculate, 1^ to if line long, 7 to sub-9-nerved. Florets, lower barren ; valve 

 equal and very similar to the upper glume, but 5-nerved ; pale subequal ; perfect 

 floret oblong, subapiculate, slightly shorter than the lower ; valve coriaceous, 

 transversely wrinkled, 5-nerved, light green or yellowish ; anthers f line long. 



Habitat : Natal. Near Durban, Rehmann 8648 ; Williamson 11. 



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

 lent to us for the purpose by the Director. It was made from Williamson's 

 specimen. 



Fig 1, Plant, natural size ; 2 spikelets : 3, lower glume ; 4, upper glume ; 5, valve and 

 pale of 'male floret ; 6, valve of perfect floret ; 7, pale ; 8, lodicules, stamens and pistil. 

 Except fig I, all enlarged. 



