PLATE 600. 
IscH.EMUM FrankSvE, J. M. Wood. (Kew Bulletin, 1908, ined.) 
Xat. Order Graminea?. 
Compactlv ca'spitose. intraA'aiiinal innovation .sliot^ts and floAverinp; cnlnip closely 
conixested. covered at the base after tires with the old jiersistent hardened sheaths. 
Culms slender. S inches hiuli. 1 to 3-no(led. <ilal)rous exce])t tlie upper internode 
which is pilose below the inflorescence with Avhite or grev hairs. Lower sheaths of 
the leaves laterally compressed, keelad, hard, pilose, at length glabrescent, those of the 
culms rather more lax, upper narrower, becoming purple, ])ubescent, often longer than 
the internodes ; ligules reduced to a ring of hairs ; l)lade setaceously filiform, acute, 
laterally compressed, in transverse section semi-oblong, plane on the face, or those of 
the culms subchannelled. tlio^e of the innovation shoots <S inches (or more) long, \ 
line broad (i.e.. as compressed . bright green, smooth, glabrous, or near the base 
pilose. Kacemes becoming pur{)]e, 2-3, erect, 10 lines to 2| inches long, shortly 
peduncled, peduncles ashy grey, pilose, bearded at the base, sometimes su])ported by 
subulate bracts, up to 5 lines or more long ; joints clavate, tricpietrous, white pilose 
on the outer side, 2 to 8 lines long. 
Sessile spiJcelets oldong-lanceolate, acute, 8 to 4 -lines long ; /oirer glume white 
bearded at base, chartaceous. dorsally flattened, mostly rough tuberculate on the keels 
and intracarinal nerves, the tubercles on the keels Ijcaring 1-2 white, short, rigid hairs, 
nerves seen from the front green. 8-9, including the keels ; upper glume boat-shaped, 
ecpialling the lower one. membranaceous, 5-nerved, the boat-shaped keel rigidly ciliate, 
margins ciliolate : lower floret male, valve oblong-lanceolate, 2^ to 3 lines long, 
hyaline, becoming purjile, 3-nerved, minutely scabi'ous on the back, ciliolate. pale 
2-neryed, hyaline, subequalling the valve ; i<pj9er floret perfect, A alve at apex minutely 
tridentate. the middle tooth mucronulate, otherAvise similai- to the lower floret. 
Anther 2 lines long. 
Pedieelled sjrikelet on claAate outwardh" pilose pedicels 3 lines long, su])]iorted 
l)y the sessile, similar exce])t tiiat tlie glumes have but 3 intracarinal nei'ves, and the 
valve of the u])per floret which is male or hermaphrodite is scarcely tridentate. 
Habitat : Natal. Tal)amhlope. (lOOO-SOOO feet alt., Wylie (in Herbarium. 
Wood 10,540), October, li)07. 
Of this grass we hax e but few specimens, and all of the one gathering ; they 
had been growing amongst grass which had recently been burned off, so the length of 
leaves and culms must for the ])resent remain doubtful. This grass has been named 
after Miss Fi'anks, Assistant in the ( iovernnient Herbarium, who dissected it, and has 
made all the (h-awings and dissections in Vol. V. of " Xatal Plants," which volume 
includes gi'asses onlv. I)r. ( >. St:i])f savs of this grass : A very distinct s])ecies. 
differing from nil others by tlie \ er\- narrow leaves, by the s]»ikelets of the ])airs being 
almost alike, the lower glumes without wings flattened dorsally, tuberculate on the 
keels and intracarinal nerA cs." He also says : " Mr. Wood's description has been 
am])lified from the excellent material which he Avas good enough to conmiunicate to 
KcAA'. Technically this striking species would come under the section Enischcemum^ 
but [ lia\'e not been able to make out its exact affinities." 
Fig 1, Lower glume : 2, upper glume : 3. lower valve ; 4, pale : .3, stamens and lodicules ; 
6, upper valve; 7, pale ; 8, pistil, stamens and lodicules. AU enlarged. 
