668 
CL VII. GRAMINEiE (Stapf). 
[. Panicum . 
slender, branched from the lowest and sometimes one or the other 
of the upper nodes, terete, glabrous, about 5-noded, lower internodes 
shortly, upper long-exserted. Leaf-sheaths terete, frequently rather 
loose, quite glabrous except along the ciliolate upper margins, very 
smooth, prominently striate ; ligule a ciliolate transverse rim ; blades 
narrowly linear from an equally wide base, tapering to a fine blunt 
point, 3-7 in. by lj-2 lin., flat or more often tightly convolute, rather 
rigid and firm, quite glabrous and smooth except on the scaberulous 
margins and sometimes the upper side, midrib very slender, more or 
less prominent below, lateral nerves numerous, close, hardly differ- 
entiated. Panicles erect and open, and rhomboidal or ovate in 
outline, or slightly nodding and subsecund, very long-exserted, 
3-d in. by f-2 in., divided up to the third degree ; common axis very 
slender, terete, smooth, finely striate, lowest internodes f-1 lin. long 
lower primary branches mostly solitary and undivided for 4-10 lin. 
from the base or sometimes divided at the base and 2-nate, the lowest 
internode but one usually 6-3 lin. long, the following much shorter, 
longest branches about half the length of the panicle-, all finely 
filiform like all the other divisions, often coloured and very slightly 
scaberulous or smooth ; ultimate divisions subcapillary, short, 
rather contracted ; pedicels unequal, J-1J lin. long, tips discoid. 
Spikelets plump, subglobose, obtuse or subacute, over 1 to 1J lin. 
long, pale green or straw-coloured, slightly variegated with purple 
(particularly at the tips and edges of the glumes) here and there with 
a metallic lustre. Glumes membranous, very concave, minutely 
acute, prominently nerved, the lower two-thirds the length of the 
spikelet, 3-nerved, the upper as long as the spikelet, 5-nerved. Lower 
floret ; valve very like the upper glume ; valvule slightly shorter, 
keels almost smooth. Upper floret ob ovate- elliptic in outline, 
subacute, f-1 lin. by f lin. ; valve and valvule thinly papery, 
faintly purplish or whitish, verrucose, warts more or less depressed, 
globular. 
Lower Guinea. Angola : Huilla ; in bnsh near Monino, W dwitsch, 2686 ! 
Mozambique Distr. North Rhodesia: near Mumbwa (15° S., 28° E.), Mrs. 
Macaulay, 40 ! Umtali, Sawer, 14 ! 
19 P. fulgens, Stapf. Perennial, up to 2 ft. high, forming large 
easily disintegrating tufts ; innovation-buds small, compressed, 
ovate in outline with short acute glabrous cataphylls. Culms erect 
or more or less geniculately ascending, simple or branched below, 
very slender, wiry below, rooting from the lowest nodes, terete, 
glabrous, many-noded, nodes exserted (except sometimes the lower). 
Leaf-sheaths tight, terete, quite glabrous and smooth or ciliate 
towards the mouth, finely and prominently striate ; ligule reduced 
to a narrow membranous ciliolate rim ; blades narrowly linear from 
an equally wide base, long-attenuated to a sharp point, 2-5 in. by 
1-1 \ lin., suberect, somewhat rigid, flat or more or less involute. 
