132 
CLVII. GEAMINE^E (Stapf). 
[Sorghum., 
spikelet elliptic -oblong (sides rather straight), subobtuse or minutely 
pointed, 1 j — 2 lin. by 1-1J lin., straw-colour often with the very tips 
greenish when in flower, when mature darker to glossy black or 
reddish or almost white, sparingly white-hairy or almost glabrous ; 
callus-beard J lin. long. Glumes equal, thinly coriaceous, tough ; lower 
subobtuse, rarely with an obscure hyaline point, finely 13-nerved, 
the keel-nerves slightly raised and thickened towards the tips, smooth 
or almost so, indexed margins flattened out when mature ; upper 
rather broad, 7-nerved, finely and often obscurely keeled. Valves 
ciliate ; lower broad-elliptic or oblong, 2-3-nerved, 1 J-lf lin. long ; 
upper broad-ovate, subentire or minutely 2-lobed, up to 1J lin. long, 
middle-nerve thickened upwards, running out into a minute point 
or a short stiff bristle, rarely a small bent awn. Anthers 1 lin. long. 
Grain very broad-elliptic to orbicular rarely obovate-orbicular in 
outline, 1J-2 lin. long and broad, dor sally little or much com- 
pressed, white, yellow or red to chocolate-red. Embryo-mark distinct 
or obscure. Pedicelled spikelets neuter, often much reduced, per- 
sistent or deciduous, 1J-3 lin. long, upper up to 9-, lower to 7-nerved. 
— Andropogon Sorghum, subsp. sativus, var. caudatus, Hack, in DC. 
Monogr. Phan. vi. 517, and var. peruvianus, Hack. l.c. 512. Sorghum 
vulgare, vars. saccharatum (fruiting spec.), and angolense, Rendle in 
Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 150, 151. 
Upper Guinea. Cape Verd Islands : in abandoned fields, Welwitsch, 2880 f 
Nileland. Jur : Ghattas’ Seriba , Schweinfurth, 180! Uganda: Toro, Dawe, 
527 ! 528 ! British East Africa : Freretown, Taylor ! 
Lower Guinea. Belgian Congo : Stanley Pool, Hens, B 47 ! Lower Congo, 
Smith ! Angola : Golungo Alto ; cultivated along the Cuango River near 
Arimodo Isidro, Welwitsch, 7237 ! Sange ; cultivated everywhere, W elwitsch, 
2995 ! Cazengo ; Luinha River, everywhere cultivated, also in abandoned 
fields, Welwitsch, 7216 ! Huilla ; very commonly cultivated, Welwitsch, 2681 
(fruit) ! Hereroland, Nels ! 
Mozambique Distr. Zanzibar, Hildebrandt, 13446 ! 
Widely cultivated in numerous races from Angola to the Sudan and East 
Africa ; introduced into tropical America (Brazil, Venezuela, Peru ; also 
Jamaica). 
To the specimens enumerated above many others known only from fruiting 
panicles and mostly distinguished by larger grains have in all probability to be 
added, as the unfertilized and arrested spikelets to be found in the mature 
infructescences agree well with the known flowering states of S. caudatum. 
The following is an attempt to classify the whole material available and appar- 
ently referable to this most important species. Many of them were obtained 
from the Rubber Exhibition, London, 1914 (Sudan Division). They are marked 
with an asterisk. Their vernacular names are given between inverted commas, 
and where known their origin is added : — 
Grain up to 1^ lin. long, broad-obovate in outline. 
Panicle erect, oblong, rather compact (“ Masambalo, 
M. rubro ,” Welwitsch, 2681, fruiting spec., 2880, 
2995, 7216, 7237.— Hens, B. 47; Hereroland, / 
Nels ; Hildebrandt, 13446. — “ Mtama-Makunda ,” g 
Freretown, Taylor) ... ... ... ... var. angolensis. 
Panicle umbelliform, owing to the shortening of the J 
rhachis {Dawe, 527) var. Cerevisice. 
