528 
CLVII. GRAMINE^ (Stapf). 
[ Brachiaria . 
P. sarmenlosum , Benth. in Hook. Niger FI. 561 ; not of Roxb. 
P. equinum, Steud. l.c. P. punclulalum , St end. l.c. 62. P. 
pictigluma, Steud. l.c. 73. P. molle, Griseb. FI. Brit. West Ind. 
547 (excl. syn.) ; Baker, FI. Maurit. 436 ; Durand & Schinz, Consp. 
FI. Afr. v. 755 ; De Wild. Etud. FI. Katanga, 11, and Not. PI. 
Util. Congo, 507 ; not of Sw. 
Upper Guinea. Senegal : Tivaouane, Chevalier, 2294 ! Middle Niger : Sompfi 
Chevalier, 2295 ! Liberia : Grand Bassa, Vogel, 32 ! Northern Nigeria : Nupe, 
in wet places, Barter, 1045 ! in wet places near Sokoto, Dalziel, 481 ! Cameroons : 
Victoria, Winkler, 32 ! 
Nile Land. Sudan : near the White Nile, 12° 10" N. lat., Schweinfurth, 1047 ! 
Lower Guinea. French Gaboon, Griffon de Bellay. Libreville, on the 
River Shire, Thollon, 164, 708. Belgian Congo : Stanley Pool District ; Kunzulu, 
Yanderyst, 5182 ! Kisantu, Gillet, 630 ! 2322 ! between Leopoldville and 
Mombasi, Gillet, 2620 ! Cataracts District ; Kimbambele, Vanderyst, 4326 ! 
Angola: Golunga Alto (?), Welwitsch, 2960 ! 
Mozambique Distr. German East Africa : Amani, Herb. Amani, 384 ! 
It is apparently a native of South America and West Africa, but intro- 
duced elsewhere. 
In accepting Forskal’s name “ muticum ” for this species I have relied on 
Ascherson’s identification (Asch. & Schweinf. III. FI. Egypt. 160) of the 
type with the Algerian P. numidianum. Schweinfurth (Plante Utile Eritr. 
53) says that according to the Abyssinians this is one of their best fodder 
grasses for milk, as its Tigre name “ sari-zaba ” (milk-grass). implies. He also 
adds that it is common in the lower region ; but neither he nor the Italian 
collectors seem to have collected it in Eritrea, and there is no record of its 
occurrence in Abyssinia. It is no doubt an excellent fodder grass, grown in 
many parts of the tropics and known as “ Para grass,” “ Mauritius grass,” 
or “ Water grass.” 
19. B. decumbens, Stapf. Perennial. Culms ascending from a 
long prostrate base, to 1 or 1J ft. high, many-noded, rooting from 
the lower nodes which are generally short or more or less angular, 
the uppermost internode by far the longest and very slender, the 
whole culm glabrous. Leaf-sheaths of the base longer than the 
internodes, at length decaying, like the others tight, terete or some- 
what compressed and keeled upwards and more or less finely hirsute ; 
ligules a ciliolate rim ; blades narrowly lanceolate from a rounded 
base, tapering to an acute point, 1 j-3 in. by 4-5 lin., hat, thin, green, 
shortly hirsute, margins finely cartilaginous, partly crisped, scabrid 
to. spinulously ciliate, primary lateral nerves about 4 on each side, 
like the midrib very slender. Inflorescence secund, of 2-3 sessile 
spreading more or less arching secund spiciform racemes separated 
by very slender semiterete almost smooth and glabrous internodes, 
the common axis not produced beyond the upper raceme. Racemes 
simple, 2-seriate, very dense, secund, 2-| in. long ; rhachis sub- 
herbaceous, flat, up to over J lin. wide, dark purple and glabrous 
on the back, green and minutely pubescent on the face, ciliate along 
the angles, the cilia yellowish, less or much less than half the length 
of the spikelets, internodes about J lin. long ; pedicels solitary, very 
short, rather stout, almost glabrous, alternately to the right and the 
left of the very slender midrib. Spikelets closely contiguous, oblong, 
