Brachiaria.] clvii. geamine-Ze (Slapf). 531 
22. B. dura, Stapf. Perennial, about 2J ft. high, compactly 
csespitose on a short oblique rhizome with intra vaginal innovations. 
Culms slender, wiry, erect and simple, up to J ft., more or less 
geniculate and branched, terete or slightly compressed, glabrous 
or sometimes sparingly and minutely hairy below the nodes. Leaf- 
sheaths tight, terete or slightly compressed, very firm and hard, 
striate, the basal up to over 3 in. long, hairy, long-persistent and 
coating the innovations and flowering culms, the others glabrous ; 
ligules a narrow ciliolate rim ; blades narrowly linear, convolute, 
very wiry, up to over 1 ft. long, 1 lin. wide when flattened out, | lin. 
in diam. in the convolute state, pale green, glabrous except for a 
beard (lower leaves) or some fine pubescence at the base ; blade of 
the uppermost leaves suppressed, the sheath tapering gradually 
to an acute point. Inflorescences reduced to a solitary terminal 
upright straight or slightly arching secund spiciform raceme, 3-4 in. 
long, simple, dense or somewhat loose, 1-seriate, rarely augmented 
by a second raceme about 1 \ in. below the terminal ; rhachis semi- 
terete, flattened upwards, § lin. wide, scabrid or rigidly ciliate along 
the angles, otherwise glabrous ; internodes 2-3 lin. long ; pedicels 
solitary or 2-nate, the longest not much over J lin. long, very finely 
puberulous with discoid tips. Spikelets contiguous or discontiguous, 
oblong, subobtuse, 2 lin. long, glabrous, pale, sometimes tinged with 
purple. Glumes unequal, membranous, the lower ovate-oblong, 
slightly marginate, half as long as the spikelet, 4-uerved , upper 
corresponding in outline and size to the spikelet or very slightly 
shorter, 5-nerved with a few obscure cross-veins near the tip. Lower 
floret (J, as long as the spikelet : valve resembling the upper glume 
but with the inner side-nerves far apart and depressed along the 
back ; valvule oblong, subacute, If lin. long, keels narrowly margin- 
ate. Upper floret broad-oblong, obtuse or obscurely apiculate, 
as long as the spikelet, pale brown, glossy and smooth ; valve and 
valvule crustaceous ; anthers 1 lin. long. 
Lower Guinea. Angola : Benguella ; country of the Ganguellas and 
Ambuellas, Gossweiler, 2665 ! 
23. B. brizantha^ Stapf. Perennial, up to over 6 ft. high from 
a short sometimes stout rhizome, with stout tomentose root-fibres 
and extra vaginal or intravaginal innovations covered in bud by 
coriaceous glabrous and often shining or sometimes appressedly 
hairy cataphylls. Culms erect, rarely geniculately ascending, 
stout, 4-6- (or sometimes many-) noded, simple or scantily branched, 
upper internodes exserted. Leases glabrous or softly hairy to almost 
velvety ; sheaths rather tight, terete, firm, not persisting very long, 
striate ; ligules a narrow fimbriate rim ; blades linear or if short 
sometimes sublanceolate, acute or long-tapering to a slender point, 
2-15 in. by 3-8 lin., usually flat, firm, light green, margins carti- 
laginous and spinulose, nerves numerous and very fine, the primary 
