Panicum .] 
CLYIT. GRAMINEZE (Stapf). 
705 
branched from the lower and middle nodes, with the branches 
.shorter than the culms and all flowering, terete, hirsute, hairs spread- 
ing, long, particularly towards the panicle, and very fine, internodes 
more or less exserted. Leaf-sheaths subherbaceous, loose, strongly 
striate, softly hirsute with tubercle-based hairs ; ligule reduced to a 
shortly ciliate rim ; blades linear from a somewhat rounded base, 
tapering to an acute point, about 3 in. by 2J-3.J lin., flat, soft or 
almost flaccid, loosely hairy on the nerves, hairs like those of the 
sheaths, margins scaberulous, primary lateral nerves 3-4 on each 
side, little distinct, midrib very fine. Panicle oblong or ultimately 
ovate in outline, often slightly nodding or at least the ends of the 
branches drooping, 3-4 in. by 1-3 in., opening out towards maturity, 
divided to the fourth or fifth degree ; primary axis slender, terete, 
striate and loosely hairy below, more angular, glabrous and scabrid 
upwards ; primary branches scattered or irregularly approximate in 
pairs, the lower 1 to over 2 in. long, ascending and then curving out- 
wards, or flexuous, more rarely straight and stiff, filiform, like all the 
divisions sharply angular and scabrid, sparingly hairy towards the 
base, divided from 6-2 lin. above the base ; penultimate divisions 
2-spiculate from near the base (pedicels 2-nate) or higher up ; pedicels 
fine, clavately thickened at the tips, the lateral rarely over \ lin. 
long. Spikelets oblong, acute, 1-1J lin. long, hardly gaping before 
maturity, greenish with dark purple tips or the glumes tinged with 
purple, glabrous. Glumes thinly membranous, very unequal, more 
or less prominently nerved ; lower ovate, acute, clasping, 5-nerved, 
half the length of the spikelet ; upper corresponding in size and outline 
to the spikelet, 7-nerved. Lower floret barren : valve very similar 
to the upper glume but 9-nerved ; valvule oblong, acute, shorter 
than the valve, flaps very narrow or almost 0. Upper floret 
oblong, subacute, § lin. by J lin., very dark brown when ripe, very 
glossy and smooth ; valve and valvule crustaceous. Grain elliptic 
in outline, obtuse, white. 
Mozambique Distr. Transvaal : in sandy places near Mara, 3300 ft., 
Schlechter, 4614 ! 
Distributed as P. hirticaulum, Presl, a Mexican species with larger and more 
acuminate spikelets and pale fruits. 
60. P. haplocaulos, Pilger in Engl. Jahrb. xxxiii. 49. Annual, 
about 1 ft. high, growing gregariously in close stands. Culms almost 
filiform, erect, simple, 4-5-noded, with the nodes exserted, terete, 
glabrous, smooth, sometimes rooting from the lowest node. Leaf- 
sheaths thin, terete, glabrous, smooth, finely striate ; ligule a mem- 
branous ciliate rim ; blades erect, setaceously convolute, 4-5 in. 
long, when flattened out f lin. across, erect, rather soft, glabrous 
or with tubercle-based spreading marginal or submarginal hairs 
downwards, quite smooth, midrib fine, like the primary lateral 
nerves (2 on each side) more or less prominent below. Panicles 
FL. PROP. AFR. VOL. IX. — PT. 4. 2 Z 
