492 
cl vii. GrRAMiNEiE (Stapf). [Microcalamus. 
the base, rarely higher up, at length often quite glabrous, midrib 
very slender, somewhat prominent below downwards, obscure above, 
lateral nerves close, 60-70 per inch ; epidermal cells small with 
rather stout straight more or less pitted lateral walls. Inflorescence 
shortly exserted, from less than 1 to almost 3 in. long ; lower primary 
branclilets 2J-4 lin. long (excluding the spikelets), seldom longer, 
rarely with more than 3 perfect spikelets, upper reduced to 2-nate 
or solitary spikelets ; axes filiform, more or less angular, finely 
pubescent or scaberulous ; pedicels very unequal, the longest up 
to 3 lin. long. Spikelets oblong to lanceolate- oblong, 3-3J lin. long ; 
the glumes and the lower floret more or less purplish. Lower glume 
from slightly over 1 to 1J lin. long, 5-nerved ; upper 2 lin. long, 
7 -nerved. Lower floret slightly shorter than the upper, : valve 
obliquely lanceolate-oblong in profile, subacuminate. Upper floret : 
valve whitish or very faintly suffused with purple, lanceolate in 
profile, bluntly rostrate- acuminate, glabrous except for the marginal 
cilia and the silky basal beard, the hairs of which are about J lin. 
long. Anthers 1 j lin. long. — Pilger in Engl. Pflanzenwelt Afr. ii. 143. 
Lower Guinea. French Congo : Lower Ogowe region ; in forest near Njole, 
Thollon, 765 ! 
2. M. Aspidistrula, Stapf in Ilook. Ic. PI. sub t. 3070 (partly). 
The whole plant J to almost 2 ft. high ; innovations extravaginal, 
rooting from the base, 1-7 in. long, with 3-4 cataphylls, the lowest 
of them very short, rounded, the second J-l in. long, loosely sheath- 
ing, the following separated by an internode ultimately up to over 
-J in. long, all silky at the nodes, otherwise mostly appressedly hairy 
between the nerves and ciliate along the margins or ciliate only or 
quite glabrous, quite bladeless, the uppermost 1 to over 6 in. long ; 
the innovations growing out either directly into an erect or suberect 
leafy flowering culm or by the elongation of the first internode above 
the uppermost cataphyll into an inclined or arched runner-like or 
subprostrate base, sometimes over 1 ft. long, frequently rooting from 
its terminal node and throwing up from it an erect leafy culm or — 
by the formation of extravaginal buds — a scanty fascicle of leafy 
culms ; these secondary culms sheathed at the base with 2 or 3 
cataphylls and reduced in size, but otherwise repeating the characters 
of the primary. Perfect leaves 1-3 ; sheaths tight, firm, appressedly 
or loosely pubescent or glabrous between the prominent nerves, 
always silky-pubescent at the nodes and with a ciliate dorsal trans- 
verse rim at the junction with the blade ; ligules a transverse firm 
ciliolate rim ; blades lanceolate, subsymmetrical or somewhat 
oblique, gradually tapering from the middle or slightly below it 
towards both ends, 4 to almost 12 in. by 1-2 in., moderately firm, 
glabrous above, finely and appressedly pubescent underneath, 
midrib slender, prominent below, lateral nerves 35-50 per inch. 
Inflorescence long-exserted, 3-9 in. long ; loAver primary branches 
