172 
Eragrostis valida, Stent. 
Gramen perenne, dense caespitosum : rhizoma obliqua. Culmi erecti, glabri, validi, 
120-150 em. longi, internodiis inclusis; nodis paucis. Foliorum vaginae longae, arctae 
imbricatae, glabrescentes, inferiores 26 cm. longae, dense hirsutae, plerumque purpureae ; 
laminae lineares longe tenuiterque, acutatae, ad 60 cm. longae, 7 mm. latae, glabrae, sed 
post ligulos piliis longiis mollibus tectis, planae, rigidae. supra asperulae, infra, laevae ; 
ligulae ad marginem dense ciliatum redactae. Panicula patula vel contracta ad 30 cm. 
longa, rhachibus sulcatis minute scaberulis: ram subverticillati vel fasciculati, prope 
basim divise, ramuli breves spiculis pedicellis brevibus-appressis. Sprculae griseo-olivaceae, 
lineares, ad 6:25 mm. longae, 2 mm. latae, 5-7 floribus; rhachilla subpersistens tandem 
disarticulata ; glumae subaeguales, acutae, carinis scabris, superior paulo longior ; valvae 
obtusae circa 2 mm. longae ; paleae truncatae, carinis scabris; antherae 3 mm. longae ; 
caryopsis oblonga, 0:3 mm. longa, fusca, dorsa concava. 
Perennial densely tufted on an oblique rhizome. Culms erect, glabrous, simple, stout, 
4-5 feet high, and sheathed for almost their entire length, few noded. Sheaths long, the 
lower ones up to 26 cm. long, tight. imbricating, softly hairy with tubercle based hairs 
or glabrescent ; blades linear, tapering to a fine point, up to 60 cm. long x 7 mm. broad, 
olabrous except for the long soft hairs at the base behind the lgtle, smooth below, finely 
scaberulous above, finely ribbed, flat and rather rigid ; ligule a short densely ciliate rim. 
Panicle open or contracted up to 30 em. long; rachis sulcate, minutely scaberulous, with 
olandular swellings in the axils of the branches; branches subverticillate or fascicled, 
divided from near the base. Spikelets on short pedicels, more or less appressed to the 
short branchlets, dark-greyish or olive-green, up to 6:23 mm. long x 2 mm. broad, linear, 
5-7-flowered, rachilla sub-persistent, ultimately breaking up: glumes subequal, acute, 
scabrid on the keel, lower 2 mm. long, upper slightly longer; valves obtuse, 2 mm. or 
slightly longer, side nerves reaching beyond the middle: pale truncate, with broad flaps 
and scabrid keels ; anthers 3 mm. long; grain oblong, quadrangular, 0:3 mm. long, brown, 
concave or grooved on the back. 
Maritzburg, Natal, Angus 2 (Govt, Herb, 13862). 
Near to &. curvala var. valida, but a stouter, coarser grass, with long, tight sheaths 
that enclose the clums, the lower ones very hairy and long, usually of a purplish colour, 
Mr. Angus says of this grass: “A big, coarse variety that grows very erect, has a 
dark purple stem, which is covered thickly with hairs, and is, if anything, better relished 
by cattle than No. 3 (E. curvala) . . . apparently good feeding, as cattle get into 
good condition whilst feeding on them.” 
Schizachyrium inclusum, Stent. (Pl. II.) 
Gramen annuum. Culm? erecti, simplices, circa 75 cm. longi, 5-nodi, glabri, nodis 
inferioribus brevissimis teretibus vel subcompressis. Foliorum vaginae laxae, carinae 
vlabrae laeves ; ligulae membranaceae, ad 0-75 mm. tongae, minute fimbriatae ; laminae 
lineares, base paulo constricti, glabrae, sed post ligulam pilis longis paucis tectis, 6-10 cm. 
longae, 2:3 cm. latae, longe attenuatae, apicibus obtuses vel subacutis, planae, vel 
complicatae, plerumque rubescentes. Panicula spuria longa, angusta, exigua; rami 
oraciles;  spathae 3-5 cm. longae, angustae rabescentes laminas minutas apicibus 
verentes ;  pedunculi communes graciles, clavati. Racemi 2-nati, in spathis inelusi, 
- 
2-5 em. longi, ad circa 6 articuli: articuli 3:5 mm. longi, aliquantum concavi, cuneati, 
apici cupuliforme dentato, 1 mm. longo, breviter ciliati, aliogui glabri: pedicelh articulis 
aequales, complanati, lineares, breviter et parce ciliati, apicibus 2-dentatis. Spicula 
sessilis inter articalum pedicellumque a latere admodum compressa, 4 mm. longa, callo 
1 mm. longo, barbato; gluma inferior chartacea, marginibus hyalinis, dorso convexa, 
upicem versas bi-carinata et asperula, nervebus intra-carinis 4-5; gluma superior 
cymbiforma acuta, I-nerves, breviter mucronata, inferne sabchartacea, apicem versus 
membranacea, vel fere hyalina: valva inferior linear oblonga, hyalina, vacua, 2-3 mm, 
