PLATE 488. 



Sporoboltjs suBTiLis, Kunth. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 588). 



Nat. Order Graminese. 



Perennial, densely csespitose, sometimes stoloniferous, erect, 1 to IJ foot 

 long, smooth, glabrous, about 4-noded, internodes enclosed or shortly exserted. 



Leaves, glabrous, smooth ; sheaths very tight, more or less bearded at the 

 mouth ; ligule a minutely ciliolate rim ; blades very narrow, setaceously convolute, 

 acute, 2 to 5 inches long, striate. 



Panicle embraced at the base by the uppermost sheath, ovoid to oblong, 

 open, very lax, 2 to 4 inches long, much branched ; branches and branchlets 

 capillary, with very long and fine hairs from the axils ; pedicels very variable in 

 length (from ^ to 1^ line long in the Natal, up to 5 lines long in the Madagascar 

 specimens). 



Spikelets lanceolate, acute, f line long ; rhachilla produced into a fine bristle 

 half as long to almost as long as the floret. 



Glumes subequal, lanceolate in profile, acute, ^ to f line long. Lower 1, upper 

 1 to 3-nerved. Valve ovate-lanceolate in profile, f line long, 3-nerved, lateral 

 nerves evanescent above the middle. Pale as long as the valve or very slightly 

 longer ; keels very fine, percurrent or evanescent below the subciliolate tips. 

 Anthers f to J line long. Grain oblong, f line by -g^-^ line, subterete, finely 

 striate ; pericarp adnate to the seed, indistinct ; embryo not quite -I the length of 

 the grain. 



Edbitdt : Natal. Grassy flats between Umlazi River and Durban Bay, 

 Krauss, 212. Also in Madagascar. 



The Natal plant differs from the Madagascar specimens which I have seen 

 (Hildebrandt 4906 ; Baron 672 and 4092) in the much shorter ramifications of the 

 panicle. The presence of a bristle-like continuation of the rhachilla is unique 

 in the genus ; as the structure of the spikelet is, however, otherwise essentially 

 that of Sporobolus it does not seem expedient to separate this species from that 

 genus (Dr. 0. Stapf). 



Our drawing was made from a drawing made by Miss Smith at Kew, and 

 kindly sent to us for the purpose by the Director. 



Fig 1, Plant with inflorescence, natural size; 2, plant in leaf only, natural size; 3, 

 spikelets ; 4, lower glume ; 5, upper glume ; 6, valve and pale with termination of rhachis ; . 

 7, valve ; 8, pale ; 9, lodicules, stamens and pistil. Except Figs 1 and 2, all enlarged. 



