387 
Monocymbium.] clvii. gramine^e (Stapf). 
about half the length of the grain. Pedicelled spikelets in outline 
and size very similar to the sessile, but mutinous. Valves of both 
florets developed, hyaline, or the upper more frequently suppressed. 
— A perennial grass with the coloured cymbiform spatheoles of a 
Hyparrhenia of the Cymbaria group, but easily recognized by its 
solitary racemes. 
Species 1, throughout Tropical and South Africa. 
( ju**) 
1. M. ceresiiforme^ Stapf. Perennial, mostly densely csespitose, 
1-4 ft. high, with intravaginal innovations. Culms erect, rarely 
ascending from a geniculate or subprostrate base, slender, 6- or 
more-noded and simple below the panicle, very rarely with leafy 
branches from the lowest nodes (specimens with a geniculate or 
prostrate base), glabrous, smooth. Leaf -sheaths terete, tight, gla- 
brous or hairy to villous, the lowest longer than or as long as the 
internodes, the remainder distinctly shorter ; ligules short to very 
short, rounded or truncate ; blades linear from an equally wide base, 
tapering to an acute point, 2-6 in. by 1-2 J lin., flat, more or less 
erect and rather firm, glabrous or hirsute to villous, pale green, 
often at length turning red, midrib white above, slender, primary 
lateral nerves about 3 on each side. Spatheate panicle narrow, very 
loose, up to 1J ft. long, often much reduced, primary internodes in 
strong specimens up to about 7, the lowest 3-4 in. long, rarely 
longer, the following very gradually decreasing ; primary branches 
forming 5-1 -rayed more or less distant tiers ; lower tiers often with 
a compound 1-2-noded ray, all other rays simple, finely filiform, 
more or less hairy upwards and bearded at the tips, those of the 
lower tiers usually very unequal and up to 3 or 4 or more in. long, 
of the upper more or less equal ; lower subtending leaves like the 
preceding ones, but with more reduced blades ; the sheaths of the 
following more or less spathaceous, but narrow with rudimentary 
setaceous blades, the uppermost spatheoloid. Spatheoles narrowly 
and permanently cymbiform, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, acutely 
acuminate, 10-20 lin. by 1-2 lin. (in profile), scarious, glabrous, 
reddish, purplish to dark brown, often brilliantly coloured ; peduncles 
very short, permanently enclosed in the spatheole, slightly hairy 
upwards. Racemes somewhat secund and usually so enclosed in 
the spatheoles that only the pedicelled spikelets are exserted, more 
rarely the upper part or the whole of the raceme protruding laterally, 
7- 8 lin. long, 6-8-awned ; joints and pedicels about § lin. long. Sessile 
spikelets oblong, 1 J-2 lin. long, straw-coloured or tinged with brown, 
hairy to villous or glabrescent, hairs white. Lower glume delicately 
8- nerved, the 2 outermost nerves close, the following short, evanescent 
below the middle, the 2 innermost percurrent, middle nerve 0 ; upper 
glume slightly longer, bristle up to 3 lin. long, rarely absent. Lower 
floret. : valve lanceolate-oblong, obscurely 2-nerved or nerveless, up 
to 2 lin. long. Upper floret : valve linear-cuneate, 2-fid to almost 
