SOUTH AFRICAN GRAMINEAE. 
A NEW GENUS AND SEVEN NEW SPECIES. 
By SYDNEY M. STENT. 
Mosdenia. (Genus novo.  Tragus similis sed glumae emuricatae, subaeguales 
spiculae solitariae. Folia eciliata. 
Mosdenia waterbergensis. Stent. (Pl. 1.) 
Gramen perenne, basim decumbente stolonifere ; stolones cataphyllibus brevibus 
dense imbricatis obtecti. Jnovationes intravaginales, vaginis brevis et foliis distichis. 
Culmi ascendentes 60-90 cm. longi, simplices, vel ad nodes inferiores ramosi; internodii 
breviter exserti. Foliorwm vaginae teres, arctae, striatae, glabrae, laeves, laminis 
pallidiores ; ligulae brevis 0:5-0:3 mm. membranaceae ; laminae lineares ad 12 cm. longae, 
5 mm. latae, glaucescentes, glabrae. Spica cylindrica, densa, spiculis solitarus nodos 
tomentosos rachis ferentibus: rachis. striata, scabris. Spiculae 3:75 mm. longae, 
uniflorae, anguste lineares, subfalcatae, glabrae, praeter basem crassum minute-pilosum ; 
glumae subequales, inferior paulo longior et latiore, navicularis, falcata, rigide membranacea ; 
carina virida prominente, superior idem sed angustior et strictior; valva 3 mm. longa, 
hvalina. 1-3 nervosa; palea subaequale. Stamina 3. Styli distinct, breves; lodiculae 
truncatae, ovarium subaequantes. 
Perennial prostrate ascending, rool-stock stoloniferus, stolons covered with short, 
dry, densely imbricate cataphylls. /novation shoots intravaginal with short sheaths 
and distichously-arranged leaves. Culms ascending 60-90 cm. high, simple or branched 
from the lower nodes. internodes shortly exserted, leafy towards the base. Leaf sheaths 
terete, tight, striate, glabrous, paler than the blades, smooth; ligule short 0-5-0-3 mm. 
membranous: blades linear, tapering to an acute or sub-acute point, up to 
12 em. long x 5 mm. broad, bluish-green, glabrous, smooth or scaberulous on the margins, 
without a distinct midrib, rounded or slightly eared at the base. Inflorescence a siagle 
dense spike, the sessile spikelets arranged singly on minutely and densely tomentose notches, 
in whorls or spirals round a common ribbed and scabrid axis, from which they fall entire. 
Spikelets 3:75 mm. long, 1-flowered, glabrous except at the minutely hairy thickened 
base, narrow linear, subfalcate ; glumes subequal to equal. lower slightly longer and 
broader than the upper, boat-shaped, curved, rigidly membranous. with a prominent : 
vreen scabrid keel : upper like the lower but narrower and straighter ; valve aboat 3 mm. 
long, delicately hyaline, 1-nerved or sub 3-nerved; pale nearly equalling the valve. a 
Stamens 3. Ovary ovate ; style short, distinct ; lodicules truncate, about as large as the : 
ovary. 
On sand-veld, Mosdene, Naboomspruit, Waterberg. Transvaal, Galpin M. 447; 
Rooikop, Springbok Flats, Pole Evans. 3 
This grass was first noticed by Mr. Galpin on his farm Mosdene, and later was collected 
by Dr. Pole Evans on the farm Rooikop. The latter reports the grass as growing plentifally 
but being, on account of its short herbage, of little agricultural value, 
