Ctentum, Pan/. 
SpTKEr.ETs of to 4 floi'ots, R(\ssil(\ Odinpaetlv crowded, niiilatcrnl, altoriiatoly 
l)iscriato alono; tlie iiiidril) of the Hattciied i liacliis ; rliaeliilla disartienlatiiii;" ab(tvo 
tlie glumes, eoui iiinons betwccii tlic valves, tlie lowcv 2 Horcts barren or tlit' second 
male, tlie tliird liermaplirodite, the f»urtli male or barren or(|uite rndiinentary. 
Olumks muMjual, the loivcr ])ersistent, keeled, tliin, 1-nei ved, the iipjwr miicli 
]oni;'er, ol)long to lanceolate, iiattened or rounded on the back, firm, 2-;)-nerved, 
\\'\\\\ a stitt' awn from the middle. Valves oblong in profile, obtuse, o-nerved, 
awned just below the tips, clliate along the nerves or the upjiei-most glabrous, 
\\ hite, thin. Pales slightly shorter, 2dveeled or 2-nerved. Lodicides 2, ([uadrate- 
cuneate, delicate, faintly nerved. Stamens ;l in tlie hermaphrodite. 2 in the male 
floi'ets. Ovary glalirous ; styles distinct, stigmas slender, long, laterally exserted. 
(h'ain free, embraced by tlie unchanged valve and pale, oblong ; embryo up to |- 
the lengtli of tbe grain ; liilum basal, ])unctiform. 
Perennial, densely tufted, rarely annual ; leaves narrow, tlat convolute ; 
spikes terminal, solitai v or in umbels of 2-3, usually curved ; s])ikelets prettily 
pectinate and awned. Species about !), in Africa and America. 
PLATE 433. 
( -TENTUM C'ONOTNNUM, Necs. ( K1. ( 'ap.. Vol. VTT., ]). (iriS). 
Nat. Order CJraminea'. 
Pkrenntal, densely tufted. — Culms ei'ect, 1^ to 2 feet long, villous or 
]»ubescent beloM' tlie spike, 2-iioded, upper 2 internodes very long, at length more 
or less exserted. 
Lhaves mostly crowded at the base ; sheaths tight or the upper subtumid, 
striate, glabrous, smooth, tlie basal ones compressed, ])ersistent ; llgule extremely 
short, minutely ciliola.te ; b'ades narnnv, linear, acute, the basal uj) to 1 foot by |- to 
1 line, flat or setaceously convolute, smooth below, scaberulous above and along the 
margins. Sjiikes solitary, I'arely paired, olive-grey, ;> to 10 inches, by 2 to 2j lines. 
S pikelets 3 to lines. 
Gli'MES, /()?fvr ovate, acuminate, about \^ line long, keel coarsely scaln'id ; 
vi>p('i\ broadly lanceolate, acuminate, 3 to 3^ lines long, scabrid to hispidulous, 
tubercled on the nerves, 2-nerved, middle nerve emitting an obliquely erect awn, 
not produced beyond it or faintly S(» or jiercurrent and even excurrent, side-n3rve 
})ercurrent or excurrent, awn scarcely exceeding the glume. Valves, lowest bai'i'en, 
more or less cus|)idate or a])iculate, ciliate, line long, aw n 2 to 4 lines long ; 
second valve slightly longer, narrower, tlie cilia jaolonged into a lieard above the 
middle with a rudimentary pale and 2 perfect or imper fect stamens, aAvn 3 to 3|- 
lines long, third valve like the second, but more delicate, shorter awned, with a 
2-keeled glabrous pale, and a hermaphrodite flower ; fourth valve glabrous, delicate, 
l| line long, with a broad 2-nerved delicate jiale and 2 stamens; lodicules up to 
.', line long. Anthers of the herma])lirodite flower 1 J- line long, those of the male 
usually shorter; anther cells acute ; styles very short ; stigmas 1^ line long. 
Habitat : Natal. Umpumulo, 2000 feet alt., Ihiclianan I 70 ; Pearson's Falls, 
May, /''. Ijinfli. 
Fin' 1. A sjiikolot ; 2, Towor jT^lume : ?i, n]ipor glninc ; 4, 1st valvo ; 5, 2n(l valvo : (5, 
loiliciilcs anil slniiiciis from 2iiil vnl\c : 7, valvo : S, ])nl(' ; |)islil, stamens and 
|()(|i('iil('s : 10. Itli \ab(' : 11, ))al(' : 12, ni:ilc llowci-. All nildnivil. 
