PLATE 49§. 



Andropogon Schlechteri, Hackel. (Bull, Herb., Boissier, No. 9, 1906). 



Nat. Order Gramineae. 



Perennial, innovation shoots intravaginal. Culms erect, slender, about 12 

 inches high, subcompressed, 3 to 4-noded, branching from the 2 or 3 upper nodes, 

 branches solitary or in pairs, very slender, lower elongate, upper short, all floriferous. 

 Sheaths much shorter than the internodes of the culm, subcompressed, rather lax and 

 glabrous at the nodes, the upper or two upper spathiform, 9 to 14 lines long, leafless, 

 becoming rufous, the lower 6 or 8 densely crowded at the base of the culm, equitant 

 below, above flabellate, subcompressed, glabrous, rigid, becoming fuscous with ao^e ; 

 ligule very short, membranaceous, arcuate ; blade linear from an equal base, acute, 

 plane or those of the innovation shoots subconvolute, the lowest elongate (to 8 inches 

 long), the upper much shorter, all erect, rigid, green or becoming bluish purple, the 

 basal pilose above, the others glabrous, finely nerved. Racemes solitary at the ends 

 of the culms and branches, the base of the slender glabrous peduncle included in the 

 sheath, subtended by and often overtopping (rarely shorter than) the spathe, erect, 

 5 to 9 lines long, 1^ to 2 lines broad, densely flowered ; rhachilla joints straight, more 

 than twice shorter than the spikelets, slender, glabrous, subcupulate at apex. 



Sessile spikelets linear-lanceolate, 2 to 2^ line long, turning violet blue, glabrous, 

 ioit'er glume chartaceous-membranaceous, linear-lanceolate, acute, subentire or minutely 

 bi-denticulate, margins inflexed, 2-nerved, 2-keeled, smooth, plane ; callus very short, 

 obtuse, glabrous ; upper glume subequalling the lower, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 mucronulate 1 -nerved, keeled, glabrous. Loiver valve a little shorter than lower 

 glume, linear-oblong, obtuse or acute, hyaline, nerveless, glabrous ; upper valve a 

 quarter shorter than the upper glume, linear-lanceolate, acute, muticous, hyaline, 

 nerveless, glabrous ; pale 0. Lodicules cuneate. Anthers very minute without pollen. 

 Stigma shortly plumose. 



Pedicelled spikelet male, pedicel shorter than the joint, lanceolate, 2-2^ lines 

 long, glabrous. Lower glume lanceolate, acute, 9 -nerved, upper glume equalling the 

 lower, acuminate, 5 -nerved ; lower and upper valves subequalling the lower glume, 

 lanceolate, acute, 1 -nerved, hyaline ; anthers 1 line long. 



Hsibitdt : Natal. In damp places, Clairmont, 20 feet alt., Schlechter 3143 ; 

 Krantzkloof, Schlechter 3209 ; Clairmont, 20 feet alt.. Wood 8543, September. 



Fig 1, Raceme. Sessile spikelet — 2, Lower glume; 3, upper glume; 4, lower valve; 

 5, upper valve ; 6, pistil, stamens and lodicules. Pedicelled spikelet — 7, Lower glume ; 8, 

 upper glume ; 9, lower valve ; 10, upper valve ; 1 1, stamens and lodicules. All enlarged. 



