Eragrostis] XXVIII. GRAMINEA, 245 
in breadth. Panicle 4 to 5 in. long by 2 to barely 1 in. across, 
lowermost branches reaching 23 in. becoming shorter upwards. 
Spikelets 5 in. or rather less, by } line wide; lower barren gl. 
z line, upper # line ; fertile gl. # line long; anthers } to 3 line, 
grain a good 3 line. 
A very distinct species characterised by its narrow densely 
crowded panicle, and long narrow-linear many-flowered spikelets. 
MossaMEpEs.—Rather dry sandy places between the fortified town 
of Mossamedes and Mata dos Carpinteiros ; towards the end of June 
1859. No. 2597. 
24, E. quadriflora Rendle sp. nov. 
Annual, cespitose, culms unbranched, erect or with an ascend- 
ing base and rooting at the lowest node, internodes 7, subcom- 
pressed, except the uppermost which bears the panicle glabrous 
and polished, increasing regularly in length from the lowest 
upwards, with a glandular ring just below the glabrous purplish 
nodes ; sheaths compressed, loose, papery, striate, glabrous except 
for a conspicuous tuft of hairs at the mouth and a few short hairs 
along the margins, conspicuously glandular-punctate; ligule a 
short dense row of hairs ; blades stiff, linear-tapering, acute, con- 
volute, upper face sparsely pilose, lower face glazed and glabrous ; 
panicle narrowly lanceolate in outline when fully developed, 
rhachis scabridulous-pubescent, branches filiform, scabridulous, 
tinged like the rhachis with dull purple, multiverticillate at the 
lowest node, scattered or pseudo-verticillate above, ascending and 
curving gracefully outwards, branched almost from the base, 
lateral branches short bearing 2 spikelets and passing above into 
single shortly stalked spikelets ; spikelets lanceolate to lanceolate- 
oblong, compressed, 4- to 5-flowered, dull greenish-purple ; barren 
glumes lanceolate, acute, carinulate and scabridulous above the 
base, I-nerved, margin and apex hyaline, the lower reaching to 
within 3 to 1 of the tip of the lowest fertile glume, about 4 shorter 
than the upper; fertile glumes ovate, blunt, 3-nerved, marginal 
nerves imperfect, glabrous, pale slightly short, broad, slightly 
curved, keels scabridulous just below the apex only. 
Culms about 2+ ft. high, lower internodes reaching 14 line in 
diameter, sheaths from 1} to 4 in. long, the lower subcarinate and 
reaching nearly 2 lines in width, the upper narrower, longer, and 
less compressed ; ligule a good } line; leaves 4 to 6 in. long, the 
lower 2 lines in width at the base. Panicle 8 to 9 in. long by 
11 in. greatest width, branches at the lower nodes reaching 2 in. 
long, branchlets + to 3 in. or less; spikelets 14 to 2 lines long, the 
pedicel of the lateral spikelets rarely exceeding } line, often less, 
the terminal on pedicels equal to or generally 2 to 3 times their 
own length. Barren glumes 4 line and 1 line respectively ; the 
upper reaching to above the middle of the second fertile glume ; 
fertile glume 2 line long; anthers brown, scarcely } line long ; 
grain not developed. 
A distinct species, perhaps nearest HY. micrantha Hack., but a 
