578 
glvii. gramine^e (Stapf). [Paspalum. 
P. co'mpressicaule, Raddi, Agrost. Bras. 29. P. multispica, Steud. 
l.o. 18. P. guineense, Steud. l.c. ; Jardin, Herbor. Cote Occ. Afr. 
4, and Apergu FI. Gabon, 15. P. cognatissimum, Steud. l.c. P. affine > 
Bello in An. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. xii. 125. Panicum paniculatum y 
0. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. iii. PI. 363. 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons : Bipinde, Zenker, 4026 ! and 4299 ! without precise 
locality, Miss Kingsley ! St. Thomas Island : Caixao Grande and Madre de Deus, 
on the shore, Moller, 130 ! Roga Ledoroma, Mocquerys, 17 ! Princes Island,. 
Barter, 1967 ! Rattray ! in dense damp woods, Pico de Papagaio, Welwitsch, 
2929! 
Lower Guinea. French Gaboon, Jardin, 23 ! 
Tropical America, from Mexico and the West Indies southwards. 
65. STENOTAPHRUM, Trin. ; Bentb. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 
1108. 
Spikelets lanceolate to ovate-oblong, falling entire (sometimes, 
tardily) from the rudimentary pedicels, solitary or 2-5, rarely more, 
abaxial on the triquetrous rhachis of very short spike-like racemes, 
more or less sunk in hollows or chambers on the anterior face of a 
dorsally flattened herbaceous or spongy continuous or jointed 
common axis, or the longer racemes at least closely appressed to it ; 
lower floret or reduced to an empty valve ; upper floret 
Glumes dissimilar, the lower mostly minute, scale-like, the upper 
almost or quite equalling the spikelet and 5-7 - (rarely more-) nerved — 
or similar, and then both small, scale-like. Lower floret : valve 
corresponding in size and shape to the spikelet as seen from the front, 
chartaceous to coriaceous, 3-7- (rarely more-) nerved, nerves some- 
times very obscure ; valvule, if present, almost as long as the valve,. 
2-keeled. Upper floret : valve chartaceous to subcoriaceous with 
firm margins, faintly 3-5-nerved ; valvule subequal to the valve and 
similar in substance, tightly embraced by the narrowly involute 
margins of the former, faintly 2-nerved. Lodicules 2, 'quadrate- 
cuneate. Stamens 3. Styles free or almost so, very slender ; 
stigmas long, slender, laterally exserted. Grain broadly elliptic- 
oblong, dorsally compressed, plano-convex ; hilum punctiform, 
basal ; embryo up to half the length of the grain. — Creeping or 
prostrate perennials or tufted erect annuals ; sheaths more or less, 
often strongly, compressed, blades acute or obtuse. False spikes 
terminal and often also lateral from the upper leaves, peduncled* 
tough or at length breaking up at the joints. 
Species 7, mainly on the shores of the tropical and subtropical seas, 4 confined 
to Madagascar and the neighbouring islands. 
Rhachis entire, spongy, often deeply excavated on the 
anterior side for the reception of the 1- or pluri- 
spiculate racemes ... ... ... ... ... 1. 8. secundatum. 
