14 
CLYII. GRAMINE^E (Stapf). 
b. Panicastree. 
Inflorescence of variously arranged (rarely solitary) 
simple or compound, usually secund, spike-like, 
dense (rarely loose) racemes, not an open or con- 
tracted and cylindric panicle ; spikelets usually 
paired or sometimes particularly towards the base 
of the raceme in fascicles of 3 (rarely more), un- 
equally pedicelled or solitary, alternately to the 
right and the left of the median line of a usually 
dorsiventral rhachis. 
Fruit slightly laterally compressed or subterete, more 
or less acuminate ; its valve and valvule thinly 
cartilaginous ; racemes somewhat lax owing to 
the more distant pairs or fascicles of spikelets 
which are attached to slender rhachises ; spike- 
lets awnless ; blades lanceolate, acuminate, flat, 
loosely nerved, usually with some transverse 
venules, contracted at the base into a short 
petiole or pulvinus, sometimes finally disarticu- 
lating from the sheath. 
Glumes and lower valve herbaceous, particularly 
upwards ... ... ... ... ... ... 57. Chloachne. 
Glumes and lower valve papery or s carious ; blades 
broad, resembling those of the dwarf African 
bamboos ... ... ... 58. Microcalamus. 
Fruit dorsally (very rarely laterally) compressed, its 
valve and valvule crustaceous ; racemes usually 
father dense. 
Back of fruit abaxial (indistinctly so in Leuco- 
phrys). 
Spikelets strongly laterally compressed, distant 
on long slender rhachises ; lower glume [ljena. 
herbaceous, as long as the spikelet ... 59. Pseudechino- 
Spikelets more or less dorsally compressed ; 
lower glume never herbaceous. 
Lower glume rudimentary forming with the 
base of the rhachilla a swollen annular 
callus ; fruit mucronate ... ... ... 60. Eriochloa. 
No swollen annular callus at the base of the 
spikelet. 
Lower glume about as long as the spikelet, 
whitish and subhyaline ; upper glume 
and lower valve long-hairy ; racemes 
short and rather lax owing to the 
lengthening of the pedicels ... ... 61. Leucophrys. 
Lower glume absent or small, rarely over 
half the length of the spikelet, or if 
longer, then the spikelets sessile or 
subsessile. 
Lower glume present ; racemes race- 
mosely arranged 62. Brachiaria. 
Lower glume absent ; racemes digitate 
or subdigitate 63. Axonopus. 
Back of the fruit adaxial. 
Lower glume typically absent ; spikelets usually 
conspicuously plano-convex, with the flat 
side turned away from the rhachis ... 64. Paspalum. 
