Elymandra .] 
CLVII. GRAMINEiE (Stapf). 
409 
Pobeguin’s specimens from Timbo seem to represent a stout form with a much 
reduced inflorescence and slightly smaller spikelets, but they agree in all essentials 
with his Kouroussa plant. A very striking grass. 
O 49. HOMOPOGON, Stapf in Mem. Soc. Bot. France, viii. 103. 
Spikelets 2-nate (at least in the plan), one of each pair sessile, the 
other pedicelled (quite rudimentary in the lowest pair and the terminal 
trio and represented elsewhere by a short empty pedicel), on the 
fragile many-jointed rh'achis of solitary racemes, termina ting the culms 
and their upper branches ; all the sessile spikelets alike and fertile 
(except that of the lowest pair which is more or less reduced), falling 
with the adjacent joint and pedicel ; joints and pedicels linear-filiform, 
' with very oblique tips, bearded below. Florets of the perfect spike- 
lets 2, lower reduced to an empty valve, upper Fertile spikelets 
terete or subterete, awned ; callus pungent, fulvously bearded. 
Glumes equal ; the lower coriaceous, involute, very narrowly in- 
flexed and indistinctly keeled upwards, obscurely nerved ; the upper 
with a deep longitudinal groove on each side, coriaceous between 
the grooves, 3-nerved. Valve of lower floret hyaline, 2-nerved, of 
upper floret stipitiform, hyaline and sub-3-nerved towards the base, 
cartilaginous upwards, passing into a slender geniculate awn. Val- 
vule 0. Lodicules glabrous. Stamens unknown. Stigmas laterally 
exserted below the middle. Grain unknown. — An annual grass with 
narrow leaves and dense cylindric racemes. 
Species 1, endemic. 
1. H. Chevalieri, Stapf, l.c. Culms erect, slender, up to over 
3 ft. high, 5-noded, glabrous, smooth, internodes (except the upper- 
most) long-exserted from their sheaths. Leaf-sheaths terete, tight, 
the lowest slightly hirsute, the others glabrous ; ligules scarious, 
truncate, f lin. long ; blades linear, tapering to a very slender point, 
4-12 in. long, 1J-2 lin. wide, flat, sparingly hairy below, closely and 
finely nerved, the uppermost subfiliform, up to 2 in. long. Bacemes 
very shortly exserted from the supporting sheath, slender, lf-3-J 
in. long ; joints up-to 20, about 2 lin. long ; pedicels 1—1 j lin. long, 
slightly exceeded by the fulvous beard. Sessile spikelets including 
Vhe callus 3 lin. long, chestnut-brown ; callus 1 lin. long. Lower 
glume obtuse, glabrous, glossy, smooth except on the asperulous 
subterminal keels, nerves 7-9, more distinct in transmitted light ; 
upper quite glabrous. Lower floret : valve over 14 lin. long, pubes- 
cent upwards. Upper floret : awn 2-3 in. long, kneed at or slightly 
above the middle, column dark, whitish pubescent, slender, bristle 
pale. 
North Central. Upper Oubangui region: Mbrous country; basin of the 
upper Ombella, near Dati, Chevalier, 5761 ! 
