Hemarthria.\ 
CLVII. GRAMINEiE (Stapf). 
55 
ticularly the terminal, the upper glume mucronate or aristate. — De- 
cumbent or ascending perennial grasses with many-noded branched 
compound culms ; blades linear, conduplicate in bud, then flat ; 
ligules very short, membranous ; racemes compressed, often 
curved, tips more or less subulate owing to the slender terminal 
spikelet ; spikelets pseudo-opposite owing to the fusion of joints and 
pedicels, each pair made up of a sessile (secondary) spikelet 
and the pedicelled companion of the sessile spikelet of the next 
lower node. 
Species about 8, throughout the warm countries of the old world ; one also in 
America (probably introduced). 
Sessile spikelets with obtuse tips, usually more or less 
constricted below them ; callus shortly obtri- 
angular ; culms erect or ascending, sometimes 
from a prostrate base, not over a few feet long ... 1 . H. fasciculata. 
Sessile spikelets subulate, acuminate ; callus elon- 
gated- obtriangular ; culms up to 25 ft. long, often 
floating 2. H. natans. 
1. H. fasciculata, Kunth, Rev. Gram. i. 153. Perennial. Culms 
erect, or more often ascending, sometimes from a long decumbent 
rooting base, usually branched, 1-5 ft. high, many-noded, com- 
pressed, glabrous. Leaf-sheaths shorter or the low;er longer than 
the internodes, compressed, keeled, often ciliate towards the mouth, 
otherwise glabrous or almost so ; ligules membranous, very short, 
ciliate ; blades linear, gradually tapering, acute, very variable in 
length and width, up to 9 in. by 2J lin., in the tropical African 
specimens flaccid or rigid, glabrous. Racemes usually fascicled, 
straight or curved, tapering to a slender point formed by the 
terminal spikelet, ultimately more or less fragile. Sessile spikelet 
linear-oblong to oblong, from a short obtriangular more or less con- 
spicuous glabrous callus, 2J-3J lin. long, glabrous. Lower glume 
coriaceous, opaque, usually more or less constricted below the obtuse, 
entire or emarginate, 2-keeled and very narrowly winged tips, 
smooth, intracarinal nerves about 7 ; upper broadly oblong-lanceo- 
late, acute, membranous except at the hardened tip, 3-nerved. 
Valve of lower floret oblong, subobtuse, distinctly shorter than the 
glumes, 2-nerved ; of upper floret slightly shorter, ovate-oblong, 
obtuse, nerveless. Anthers 1-1 \ lin. long. Stigmas about 1 lin. 
long, laterally exserted. Grain oblong, dorsally compressed, slightly 
over 1 lin. long, reddish ; scutellum exceeding half the length of the 
grain; hilum punctiform, subbasal. Pedicelled spikelet similar in 
sex and shape to the sessile, but slightly longer, with the lower glume 
more acuminate and acute, and the upper sharply mucronate, the 
mucro somewhat exceeding the lower glume. — Kunth, Enum. i. 465, 
Suppl. 375. ; Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. i. 359 ; Hack, in Mart. FI. Bras, 
ii. iii. 314, t. 72, fig. 2. H. capensis, Trin. Androp. in Mem. Acad. 
Petersb. 6 me ser. ii. 248. Rottbcellia compressa, var. fasciculata, 
