754 
CLVII. GRAMINE^l (Stapf). 
[Sacciolepis, 
2 distinctly elongated internodes, the uppermost by far the longest, 
the preceding 1-2 in. long, shortly exserted. Basal leaf-sheaths 
loose, widened downwards, spongy but thin, -J-§ in. long, pale lead- 
coloured, the upper tighter to tight, sulcate-striate with minute 
truncate shoulders ; ligules hyaline, very short, truncate, ciliolate ; 
blades filiform to setiform, folded, with an acute or subacute point, 
from less than 1-2 in. long, up to over J lin. wide (when folded), soft,, 
suberect, delicately 7-nerved, papillose above on the nerves. False 
spikes, more or less to long exserted, erect, straight, f-1 \ in. by J-J lin., 
very slender and somewhat loose, with the- racemules l|-2 lin. long 
and more or less distinct ; axis very slender ; pedicels short, smooth, 
with minute discoid tips. Spikelets oblong to elliptic-oblong in 
outline, acute to obtuse (when mature), symmetrical, slightly turgid, 
up to slightly over | lin. long, olive-green or brownish. Glumes very 
thin, very finely nerved ; lower ovate, subacute, 3-nerved, two-thirds 
the length of the spikelet ; upper corresponding in outline and size 
to the spikelet, 7-nerved. Lower floret barren ; valve similar to the 
glume and of the same length ; valvule ovate-lanceolate, nerveless, 
| lin. long or quite rudimentary. Upper floret elliptic-oblong, 
acute, §-j lin. by 1 J lin., pale, polished. — Panicum myosuroides, var. 
. sudanensis , Stapf ex Cheval. Sudania, 87, 88, 102, and in Miss.. 
Chari-Lac Tchad, Etud. FI. Afr. Centr. Franc, i. 363 (name only). 
North Central. Upper Oubangui : M’Brous country ; Kaga Do, Chevalier 
5911 ! 5921 ! Boma Poste, Chevalier , 5961 4 ! Upper Shari : Dar Banda ; 
Kaga M’Bra, Chevalier, 6643 ! 
This is possibly a stunted condition of 8. micrococca, but the facies of the ex- 
tremely slender spikes is very peculiar, their racemules being more or less 
marked out instead of being merged in the cylindrical arrangement of the spike, 
whilst the spikelets point more forward than they do in 8. micrococca. All the 
specimens quoted were evidently growing in black mud. 
5. S. Chevalieri A Staff. Perennial, densely tufted on a short 
oblique rhizome, up to 2 ft. high ; innovations intra vaginal. Culms 
erect, very slender, smooth and glabrous, 2-3-noded, with the upper- 
most node at the middle or well below it, the lower internodes mostly 
shorter than the sheaths. Basal leaf -sheaths loose, wide, more or 
less spongy, up to 3 in. long, brownish or grey or suffused with livid 
purple, upper tight, green, sulcate-striate when dry, all with rounded 
minutely puberulous shoulders at the mouth, otherwise glabrous and 
smooth ; ligules short, truncate, ciliolate ; blades erect, filiform, 
subterete or laterally slightly compressed, 5-angular and 5-sulcate 
with the frontal groove deepest, up to 6 in. by hardly -J lin. in diam., 
spongy, quite glabrous, none of the vascular bundles with sclerenchy- 
matic girders. False spikes erect on at length long-exserted 
peduncles, cylindric, 1J-5 in. by 1|— 2 lin., more or less dense, con- 
tinuous or here and there slightly interrupted ; common axis very 
slender ; pedicels very short or up to J lin. long, puberulous. Spike- 
lets ovate in outline, acute or acuminate, symmetrical or slightly 
