712 
CLVII. GRAMINEJE (Stapf). 
[. Panicum „■ 
internode, frequently branching again in the same manner. Leaf- 
sheaths firm, at first tight, soon slipping off the culm, finely striate, 
f-1 in. long, smooth, the lowest more or less persistent ; ligule a 
minutely ciliolate rim ; blades linear from a hardly widened base, 
tapering to a slender subobtuse point, involute, 1-2 in. by over 1 lin. 
(when unfolded), rigid, erect, smooth, closely nerved, midrib and 
primary lateral nerves (2 on each side) very slender. Panicle narrow, 
1- 1 J- in. long, at length distinctly exserted, divided to the third degree, 
all the divisions finely filiform, flexuous and like the primary axis 
smooth, in the mature state very closely contracted ; primary 
branches solitary or irregularly approximate to pseudo-verticillate, 
sparingly branched from low down, rarely undivided for more than 
4 lin., the lowest 1-J in. long ; pedicels with slightly thickened tips, 
the lateral extremely short or up to 1 lin. long. Spikelets turgid, 
obliquely ovate- elliptic in outline, more or less gaping, 1 lin. long, 
pale. Glumes dissimilar, membranous ; lower very broadly ovate, 
acute, one-third to almost half the length of the spikelet, appressed, 
3-5-nerved, lateral nerves (at least the inner) exceeding half the 
glume ; upper obliquely oblong in profile, subobtuse (when flattened 
out acute), 5-nerved, nerves fine, slightly prominent. Lower floret 
(J : valve very similar to the upper glume, 7-nerved, the inner 
side-nerves much shorter than the outer and joined to the mid- 
nerve ; valvule broad, subacute, shorter than the valve. Upper 
floret Q oblong, subacute, f lin. by f lin., whitish, glossy and 
smooth. 
Mozambique Distr. Portuguese East Africa : West Luabo Mouth of the 
Zambesi, Kirk (May, 1858) ! 
67. P. porphyrrhizos, Steud. Syn. PI. Glum . i. 72. Perennial, 
up to over 3 ft. high, densely tufted, on a short rhizome with elongate- 
conical extra- (and intra- ?) vaginal innovation-buds which are' 
covered by glabrous firmly scarious cataphylls. Culms moderately 
stout, erect or slightly geniculate and suberect, simple, 4-5-noded, 
internodes mostly long-exserted, terete, quite glabrous and smooth. 
Leaves glabrous or very sparsely hirsute, with tubercle-based hairs, 
particularly towards the basal margins of the blade ; sheaths tight, 
more or less firm, striate particularly the basal ; ligule very short, 
subhyaline, sparingly ciliolate ; blades linear-lanceolate from an 
equally wide base, long-tapering to a hard slender point, 5-8 in. by 
2- 3 lin., or the lower linear-lanceolate, 1-4 in. by 3-5 lin., flat or 
convolute firm and rigid, smooth, very closely nerved, midrib and 
primary lateral nerves very slender and often obscurely differentiated. 
Panicle at first contracted and slightly nodding, ultimately quite 
erect, widely open and very loose, 9 to over 12 in. long and up to over 
6 in. wide, quite glabrous, divided to the fourth or fifth degree, all the 
divisions finely filiform to capillary and scaberulous ; primary axis 
