486 
cl vn. gramineje (Stapf). [Albtero'pds 
subacute, convolute, up to 3 in. by 1 lin. (when expanded), smooth, 
glabrous. Inflorescence of 2 slender suberect racemes, springing 
from a pubescent node ; racemes bare at tbe base for J-l in., straight 
or slightly flexuous, rather loose, 2-3 in. long, dark purple in all 
parts ; rhachis very slender, triquetrous, up to — lin. wide, scaberu- 
lous ; pedicels 2-nate or 3-4-nate near the base, finely filiform, 
angular or subangular, scaberulous, the longest about 2 lin. long, 
tips discoid. Spikelets oblong, acute, dorsally slightly compressed, 
convex on both sides, slightly over 1J lin. long, dark purple. Lower 
glume broadly ovate, subacute or acute, minutely and irregularly 
denticulate, J-f lin. long, 3-nerved ; upper firmer, of the outline 
and size of the spikelet, appressedly ciliate along the margins with 
the cilia short, purple or purple and white, finely 5-nerved, with 
minute asperities loosely scattered over the back. Lower floret $ : 
valve similar to the upper glume, but eciliate with a more acuminate 
very minutely truncate tip, more approximate side- nerves and a. 
more or less chartaceous texture with the exception of a small 
triangular delicately hyaline and perfectly transparent area at the 
base ; valvule not quite \ lin. long, deeply 2-fid, flaps with large 
obovate subcrenulate auricles exceeding the keels. Upper floret 
almost as long as the lower ; valve oblong, chartaceous to sub- 
coriaceous, very faintly 5-nerved, produced into a fine oblique 
mucro ; valvule with few very minute papillae on the back, with 
obtuse auricles. Anthers -£-§ lin. long, orange. 
Lower Guinea. Angola: country of the Ganguellas and Ambuellas, Goss- 
weiler ! 
A somewhat imperfect specimen, collected by Homble near Elisabethville 
(Katanga District; Belgian Congo) has the spikelets only lf-21in. long with 
spreading fringes of rather long cilia and dark asperities on the back of the lower 
valve. In general appearance it is intermediate between A. semialata and 
A. anqusta. 
3. A. paniculata^ Staff. Annual, up to 3 ft. high. Culms 
solitary or in scanty fascicles, erect or geniculate and ascending and 
then often rooting from the lower nodes, simple or very sparingly 
branched below, 5-9- (or more- ?) noded, terete, often rather stout, 
glabrous, finely striate. Leaf-sheaths at length loose, the lower 
slipping off the culm and finally decaying, terete, often purplish, 
striate, glabrous and smooth or more often more or less shortly 
hispidulous, the hairs from large persistent tubercles ; ligules reduced 
to a rigidly and densely ciliate rim ; blades lanceolate from a cordate 
or subcordate base, long-acuminate, 2-5 in. by 4-10 lin., softly 
herbaceous, glabrous, slightly rough above, margins cartilaginous 
and frequently strongly crisped, midrib very slender, whitish, 
lateral primary nerves 4-6 on each side, often indistinctly differ- 
entiated from the numerous secondary nerves. Inflorescence a 
fastigiate panicle of whorled or upwards scattered racemes, 4-8 in. 
