79 
Ccelorhachis.] clvii. gramine^e (Stapf). 
pedicel into an obscure rim from the centre of which protrudes 
a knob fitting into the hollow of the next lower joint, the whole 
plexus falling together. Florets 2, lower usually reduced to the 
valve, rarely with a small valvule, always neuter, upper £ , awnless. 
Glumes subequal ; lower flat or slightly convex on the back, smooth 
or variously sculptured with narrow indexed margins, 2-keeled 
upwards and more or less winged from the keels, obtuse or emar- 
ginate, very faintly nerved ; upper chartaceous, keeled, acute, 1-3- 
nerved. Yalves hyaline, of lower floret 2-nerved or nerveless, of 
upper 3-1 -nerved or nerveless. Valvule hyaline, similar to the 
valve, 2-nerved or nerveless. Lodicules 2, cuneate. Stamens 3. 
Stigmas laterally shortly exserted. Grain oblong, dorsally com- 
pressed ; embryo about half the length of the grain. Pedicelled 
spikelet very varied, similar to the sessile or more or less reduced 
or rudimentary, d or neuter, very rarely $ . — Mostly tall coarse 
perennial grasses, much-branched upwards ; racemes with the not 
rarely imbricate sessile spikelets placed anticously and the pedicelled 
laterally. 
Species about 11 or 12, in the tropics of both hemispheres. 
Pedicels without appendage ; racemes much exceeding 
the leaves of the primary branches ... ... 1 . C. lepidura. 
Pedicels with a lanceolate wing-like appendage ; 
racemes overtopped by the leaves of the primary 
branches ... ... ... ... ... ... 2. C. afraurita. 
1. 0. lepidura, Sta'pf. Perennial, glabrous. Culms over 3 ft. 
high, robust, many-noded, erect above, with the branches solitary 
or in small branched fascicles, unequal, the longer divided again, 
the whole collected into a loose leafy panicle. Leaf-sheaths smooth, 
finely striate, the lower more or less keeled, the middle and upper 
shorter than the internodes ; ligules' very short, truncate, mem- 
branous, eciliolate ; blades linear, long-attenuated from the base, 
which passes gradually into the sheath, acute, complicate, the 
cauline up to over 6 in. long and 3 lin. wide, somewhat rigid, reddish, 
smooth except the upwards rough margins, midrib acutely keeled, 
nerves close and fine. Panicle up to 2 ft. long, branches and 
branchlets distant, subtended by leaves with narrow blades or 
reduced to spathes. Eacemes glabrous, solitary at the ends of the 
branches and branchlets, much exceeding the leaves of the primary 
branches, slightly compressed, erect or somewhat nodding, straw- 
coloured variegated with brown, up to 4 in. long and over 1 lin. 
wide ; joints 1 lin. long, triquetrous, hollow, glabrous, smooth, 
disarticulating subhorizontally, scar ovate with an acute point 
over the outer angle ; pedicels linear, as long as the sessile spikelet, 
dorsally compressed, without any appendages, parallel with and 
somewhat distant from the joints. Sessile spikelet with a short 
broad callus, 2 lin. long, oblong, dorsally much compressed, imbri- 
cate, glabrous. Glumes subequal ; lower coriaceous, almost flat 
