1954] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN NYASALAND 



105 



longis e tuberculis minutis ortis dense et rigide ciliatae. Antherae 2-3, oblongae, 

 0.3-0.6 mm. longae, purpureae. Fructus anguste ovoideus vel ovoideo-oblongus, 

 0.6-0.7 mm. longus, castaneus, laevis. 



NORTHERN NIGERIA: Zaria District, Taylor 22. 



ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN: Imatong Mountains; Katire, on path, 1080 m., Dec. 17, 

 1935, Thomas 1607. 



TANGANYIKA TERRITORY: Iringa Province; Mbeya District, Mbozi Region, Jacobsen 

 37. Kyimbila District, Massako, Nov. 4, 1912, Stolz 1648a. 



NYASALAND: North Nyasa District; Fort Hill, Tanganyika Plateau, 1050-1200 m., 

 July 1896, Whyte. Between Mpata and commencement of Tanganyika Plateau, 600-900 m., 

 July 1896, Whyte. West Nyasa District: Luwagi, old garden sites on good red loam, 450 m., 

 April 4, 1938, Fenner 330. Mombera District; Mzimba Ekwendeni area, 1937, Wilson 24, 

 26. Kota-kota District; Chia area, sandy beaches of streams, 480 m., Sept. 4, 1946, Brass 

 17521. South Nyasa District; Katema (Chimsak), due west of Fort Johnston, native gardens, 

 footpaths, on light soils, 900 m., April 20, 1937, Lawrence 386. Neighbourhood of Zomba, 

 c. 900 m., 1936, Cormack 53, 84, 138, 197, 231, 272, 304. 



PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA: Nyassa District; Massangulo, abundant on dry argilla- 

 ceous soils, 330 m., April 1935, Gomes e Sousa 1414. 



NORTHERN RHODESIA: Broken Hill, May 28, 1914, Rogers 7686. Broken Hill School 

 grounds, March 1936, Govt. School 35. Near Mumbwa, 1911, Macaulay 21. Mazabuka, 

 ruderal in sandy places, 1080 m., April 8, 1932, Trapnell 1072; ibid., May 1932, Trapnell 

 2029b. Kafue District, Chikupi, c. 900 m., August 18, 1929, Sandwith 16. Pemba, in 

 swamps, 1200 m., May 1932, Trapnell 2029a. Choma, May 1909, Rogers 8004. Kalomo, 

 May 1914, Rogers 7709. 



SOUTHERN RHODESIA: Marandellas, edge of vlei and in sand veld, 1620 m., April 

 10, 1930, Rattray 88. Salisbury, 1440 m., April 1920, Eyles 2190 (TYPE), 2308. Hartley 

 District; Makwiro, 1290 m., April 1920, Mainwaring (in Herb. Eyles) 2209. Poole Farm, 

 Hartley, ruderal, 1200 m., April 17, 1944, Hornby H. 2359 (S. Rhod. Govt. Herb, 12510). 

 Mashonaland, May 1931, Fitt 170. Trelawney, Tobacco Station, 1350 m., June 16, 1943, 

 Jack 214 (S. Rhod. Govt. Herb. 10247). Zimbawe, August 15, 1929, Hitchcock 27320. 



This annual weed is of fairly frequent occurrence in south-east tropical Africa, 

 where it has occasionally been confused with its close relative E. ciliaris (L.) 

 R.Br. From this species, typical plants may be distinguished by the stiffer more 

 erect and relatively looser inflorescences, and by the slightly larger glumes, lem- 

 mas, and seeds. When the panicles are congested and rather dense, however, the 

 most reliable distinguishing character is to be found in the absence of cilia on 

 the lower half of the keels of the lemma„ In E. ciliaris, these cilia are at first 

 somewhat obscure, being tightly adpressed to the middle nerve, but at maturity 

 they spread so as to push the lemmas apart, in this way creating the rather woolly 

 dense lobe J inflorescence which is such a characteristic feature of this wide- 

 spread tropical species. 



Eragrostis buchananii K. Schum. in Engl. Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. C: 114. 1895. 

 Eragrostis acutissima Jedw. in Mez, Bot. Arch. 5: 186. 1924. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, one clump on a seepage area on an exposed 

 rocky summit, 1820 m., May 31, 1946, 16142; ibid., frequent small clumps on shel- 

 tered ledges on a bluff, 40-50 cm. high, 1500 m., June 2, 1946, 16155. Also on Mt. 

 Mlanje, Nyasaland. 



Eragrostis canescens C. E. Hubbard, Kew Bull. 1949: 348. 1949. 



Species affinis E. hispidae K. Schum. sed laminis longioribus, paniculis ma- 

 joribus, ramis rigidioribus plus minusve strictis, spiculis laxe dispositis, glumis 

 brevioribus, lemmatibus latioribus supra medium nervibus evanescentibus, pale- 

 arum carinis scaberulis differt. 



Gramen perenne, densissime caespitosum, usque 50 cm. altum; innovationes in- 

 travaginales. Culmi erecti, gracillimi, teretes, simplices, basin versus vaginatae, 

 enodes, pilis albis longiusculis appressis vel leviter patentibus pilosi, vel gla- 

 brescentes vel glabrae. Foliorum vaginae arete appressae, angustae, tenuiter 



