Enini A 1! TA. Tlmiil). 
SnivKi.i; I S lati'i'ally coiiii^vssed. ]);mick'(l or i-nccnu'd, sometime^* solitui'v. |K'(licelle(l ; 
i'li;icliil1;i disnrticulating" Ik'Iow the \:il\('s, more or less ol)scurely ])ro(luce(l. Morets 
.') : lowci' '2 I'cdufed to cin])t\' valves, ii])])('rniost hernia])hi'o<lite. 
(ii.i'MKs persistent, ineiiihi-aiious. N'ahes ^-i, heteroinor]»h(nis ; the /oirer 2 
ein])ty, iisiiallv exrejdiiii;' the uliinies, more or less eartilaginous, often bearded, and 
the i/jtjx'f with a ealloiis appendage at the base, awnless or aw iied ; the u])permost 
ft'i'tile. sniidlcr, thinner, awnless, sometimes with a knobdike ap])endage at the base 
foi'iiiing a hinge with the a]i]>endage oF the n])])ei- empty \al\e. J-'ale nai-row, keele(k 
liiieK' 2-nerved, ner\ es \'erv elose. Lodienles 2. Stamens (! or \-erv rarely 1 . Styk s dis- 
tinct, shoi't ; stigmas plnmose oi' brnshdike. exserted abo\ c the base. < irain i'llij)tie. nmeh 
com])resseil ; liilum a hne line almost as long as the grain : embryo abont 5 of the grain. 
Pkkknntals ok ANN! Ai-s of \erv \aried habit, sometimes bnlbous at the base or 
suffVeteseent ; blades flat oi' conAolute, sometimes nuieh I'edneed or siip|)ressed ; 
lignles membranous, nsually short oi' i'edneed to a n uM'ow rim ; panicle or racemes 
sometimes \ erv scanty or e\ en reduced to solitai'y s])ikek'ts. 
Species 2") in Sonth Africa, one of them also in a slightly diffei'ent foi-m in East 
AlViea. ti'0]»ical Ai'abia, the Mascai'ene Islands, and India ( hei'e pi"obabl\' introduced). 
PLATE 446. 
Ehrharta rrkpta, Tiarn., var. natalensis, Sta|)f. (Fl. Cap., Vol. VIL, p. 071). 
Nat. ( )rder Gramineie. 
Pi:KF.xxiAr,. — Cl i/Ms tid'ted. genicniate-ascending fi'om a procumbent often 
co])iousl3^ branched base, slendei', weak or wii'v bt-low. up to '2 feet long, glabrous, ver\' 
rarely rex'ci'sedlv ])ubescent below the nodes, smooth. ") to ()-node<l, sheaths tight, the 
k)west idtimatel\- slipping fi'om the culm, glabrous, raivly tinel\- hairy, smooth ; 
ligules obtuse or ti'uncate, u]) to -5 lines long ; blades linear from a clasping often 
fimbriate l)ase, gi-adually ta])ering. '2 to (I inches by \^ to ") lines, flat, flaccid, glabrous, 
rareh' hairv, smooth or subscabei'ulous. margins often wavy, scabrid or ciliate. 
Paxiclk erect or nodding, nai'i'ow, 2 to (S inches long, loose, sometimes reduced 
to a I'aceme : bi'anches distant, the lowest 2-3-nate. vei'v unecpial, the longest tip to 1 
to inches, ei'cct or spreading, simple or sparinglv bi'anched. filiform to almost capil- 
lai"V, flexuous, gkibrous oi- scaberulous abo\e : pedicels capillarv. scabernlous to ])uber- 
ulous, u]) to 4 lines oi- nioi-e long. 
Si'lKKurrs light gi'eeii. oblong, 1| to 2 lines, \ei'v rareh' 2^ lines long, 
( i HMKs o\ ate, olituse oi' apiculate, A-nerx'ed, the /airesf ^ in 1 line, the y/y/y^^/' Ij line 
long ; cmptN' \alves oblong, obtuse or trmicate, smooth and shin\- or scaberulous, trans- 
versely I'ugose, hiintly r)-nei'\ ('(l, the /airn' \^ to 1^ line, the //jijter longer bv ^ to ^, with 
a ]>air of obscui'e beai'dless I'idges at the base ; fertile valve oblong, obtuse to subacute, 1^ 
to 1^ lines long. glal)i'ous. smooth, obsciu'ely to 7-neiAed ; k xlicules usualh' glabrous. 
Stamens (i ; aiithei's ^ to ^ line long ; stigmas biMishdike ; gi-ain 1 line long, 
I /!/'. iiiitdlt'iisis (Stapf ). Cl l.ms usually re\ei'sedl\- pubescent bel )w the nodes ; 
sheaths and blades pubescent ; branches of the ])anicle and the pedicels often densely 
and minutely |»ubescent. S])ikelets 2 to 2^ lines long ; empty valves scabrid and 
p iberulons : b'rtile valve obscurely bearde(l at the base. Stamens o (always ?). 
Habitat : ^ AT Ah. Clairmont, r»() b'ct alt., il'ood 72(!0 : Drakensbero- near 
Aewcastle. I>iic]i<t mi n 177 : I nisinga and base of liiggai'sberg, liiichanan 94; Riet 
\ lei. /y/irliaiiaii 2^7. 
In a slightlx' diffeivnt b»i'm also in tropical East Africa as far as AljN'ssinia, and 
(probably introihiceij) in tropical Ai-abia. the Mascarene Islands, and India. 
In oui' s])ecimens the ghunes are 7-'.>MUMwed, as shown in |)late, not o-nerved as 
stated, and there are alwavs 4 stamens. 
Fio- 1, Lower g4ume ; 2. upper glume ; 3, 1st valve ; 4, 2n(l valve in profile; 5, fertile 
valve ; G, pale : 7, ])istil, stamens and lodienles. A// riil(ir(icil. 
