Mva.ua. Linn. 
Si'iKKLirrs ill sjiikc or riicciiic-likc or ()]>;'ii paiiicK's, Inrcrallx' or dorsallx' coiii- 
jiressed. or siihterete, joiiitcil ( soiucriiues iiii|)t'rtV'ctl_v ) on their ])e(lice]s or coiitiuuoas 
with tiieiii : rliaciiilla tar<hl\' ilisarticiilatiiii:' al)ovc the u'hunes, readilv hetweeii the 
fertile \'alA'es. lower 1 or '2 (rarch' o) Horcts heriiia])hro(Hte, the follow iiiu' ---') harrcii, 
siiia]]. ('iiil)i'aeinii; each other and forming;' a eLivate or ol)loiig bodv. 
< i LT M Ks ineiiihraiioiis, h\'aliiie (^r srarions oV)tuse or aeute, ."> to .Viu'rx (mI, or 
the ii])])er 7-iier\-e(l. Fertile vahes tiriiily iiiciiihraiious exee])t at tlic lixalinc iiiaru'iiis 
and ti])s. awnless. 7 to !)-llel•^'ed, nerves e\aiieseent beloAV the ti|»s : callus iniiiute, 
()l)tuse. Pales shorter than the A'alves, 2dceeled. Lodicules '2. small, trmiejite, (|Liite 
connate. Stamens n. ( )\ary u'lahivjus : styles distinet. short: stii^'mas laterally 
exserted. hiieh' ]:)limiose. (irain enclosed hv the more or less hai'dciit'il ( (•hartaee(ius) 
valA'e and the ]>ale. free, oltlong, seniiterete to subterete ; hihim a hue line as long as 
the grain : (■nibr\( > small. 
pKliKXMAL : blades flat or eonvohitc : ligiiles hyaline. T^aiiiclcs o]>en, s])ike- 
like or almost reduced to a raceme. mai]\- to fe\\ -s|)iciilate, often sccmid. S])ikelets 
more or less scarious, often \ i\ idl\' eoloureil. nodding on ea|)illai'\' ]);'die('ls. the tips of 
which are usually strongly ineur\t'(l. 
About 40 species. inainK' in the northern tempv'rate zone, a few in tlie temperate 
regions of rlie southern hemisphere. 
PLATE 450. 
AFkijca kackmosa. 'Idllinb. (I'd. Cap.. \'ol. \]\.. p. (iS.").) 
Xat. ( )rder < iramiiu'a'. 
C'tlms asceii<ling from a usually long \'ery slender wir\' somerinies ]troeunibeiit 
l)ase, siin])le or bi-aiiclied Indow, '2 to o feet long, glabrous, smooth oi' ■-eabri(l below 
the ])aiiiele. maii\'-node(l. inteiMiodes (exce])t the iipp;'rmost) niostlx" eiielo>ed. 
Lkax ks glabrous, seabrid. rather ci'owde(l abow the base, the lowe>t more or less 
reduced : sheaths tiglit. striate : ligiiles u]) to 1 line long : blades liiieai'. tajiering to a 
tine ])oiiit. .'l to (i iiK'hes long, ^ to 1^ line w ide when ex|)au(led, iisuaih' convolute, 
sul)glauc( )Us. 
pAXicLt; very narrow, .i to 1) inches long, erect or nodding, inort^ or less secund ; 
branches niosth- solitary, distant, erect or snl)erect, branched or more often sini]tle, 
filiform capillary, flexuous. often much shorter than the interno(le> : pedicels -J- to In- 
line long, ti])s thickened, pubescent. 
SpiKKLKTs ])allid. i-ar(d\' slighth" pur|ilisli. ."i to .") lines long. I'errile Howers 2. 
(ilAMKS uiKMpial or siibe(pial. .")-ner\'e(l. the Imrcr hvaline, o\are acute, o to og- 
liiies long, the //yy^i'^r t)l)long, hrnier, acuminate, ner\'es rather close and pi'ominent, 
slighth" scabriil. o|- to 4|- lines long. A'al\'es slightly exceeding or (Mpialliiig the 
gluuies, the Fertile oblong, obtuse or miiiuteh' truncate or emarginate. 7 to l)-iier\('d, 
neryes rather prominent, seabrid. sides only hair\' : liairs 2 lines long : 1 x h|v of barren 
A'alves cla\ate. glaln'oiis, scaberulous. Anthers 1 line long. (irain 1 to 1 -I line 
1(^1 ig. seniiterete. 
Hahitcit : Xatai.. Berea, near Durban, by the i-oadside. ir,in,/ :V.)2('> : 
^Ierel)aiik. near Durban, ll'dm/ 72.")S ; \ ernon. Jlin-Jiii na ii !.").') : ^^'eenell ( 'oimtw 4000 
feet alt.. W'inul ^.500. 
A er\' like the Meiliterraiieaii J/. ciJlutu. but differing in the rough lea\"es, the less 
acmiiinate u])per glume and the more obtuse \al\'es. 
Fiji' 1. S|)ik(4et : 2, ]ow(n' gluuic ; upper .i;luine ; 4, valve; pale : 6. pistil, stamens 
and lodicules. All eidunjcil. 
