PLATE 483. 



Aristida bipartita, Rupr. & Trin. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VIT., p, 558), 



Nat. Order Gramineae. 



Perennial, light green to glaucous. Rhizome short, oblique with compact tufts 

 of short barren shoots and culms, these erect or ascending, I to 2 feet long, simple, 

 terete or compressed below, smooth, glabrous, rarely puberulous below the nodes, 

 about 3-noded ; basal sheaths short, compressed, firm, persistent, whitish, the upper 

 widened and loose in the upper part, at length open, smooth or bearded at the mouth ; 

 blades very narrow, linear, acute, 1 to 4 inches by 1 line, rigid, curved, folded, more 

 rarely flat, smooth below, scabrid above. 



Panicle effuse, 5 to 6 inches by 3 to 5 inches, very lax ; rhachis straight or 

 flexuous ; branches solitary, distant, spreading, the loicer 3 to 4 inches long, 2- (rarely 

 3 to 4) partite close to the base, very scantily and remotely branched ; branchlets 

 divaricate, 1 to 3 spiculate at the tips, filiform, straight or flexuous, scabrid ; lateral 

 pedicels very short. 



Spikelets 3 to 4 lines long, sometimes purplish. 



Glumes subequal, linear-lanceolate, abruptly and shortly mucronate or the upper 

 emarginate. Valve linear, not or obscurely beaked, as long as the glumes or slightly 

 shorter, smooth or finely scaberulous above, purplish ; callus ^ line long ; awns 

 continuous with the valve, subequal, divaricate, 4 lines long ; pale ^ line long, shortly 

 2 -nerved, lodicules up to f line long, 3 -nerved ; anthers 1 to 2 lines long. 



Habitat: Natal. Biggarsberg, Rehmann 7102 ; near Dundee, 4000-5000 feet 

 alt., TV. E. Green ( Wood 7358). 



Fig 1, Spikelet ; 2, glume; 3, valve; 4, pistil and stamens; 5, pale; 6, a lodicule. 

 All enlarged. 



