134 
CL VII. GRAMINEiE (Stapf). 
[ Sorghum . 
20. S. papyrascens, Staff. Mature panicles only known. Culms 
up to 8 lin. across at tke base of the panicle. Panicle erect, oblong 
to oblanceolate in outline, contracted, dense, up to over 1 ft. by 
4-5 in. ; branches more or less whorled, often many to a whorl, 
erect, the longer slightly arching, rather robust, like the branchlets 
rough to spinulously ciliolate upwards and softly ciliate or pubescent 
in addition, villous at the base, lowest branches divided almost from 
the base or J in. above it, following (longest) up to 6 in. long and 
undivided for 2-3 in. from the base. Racemes tough, up to 4- 
noded and f in. long, dense, much crowded ; joints moderately 
slender, up to over 1J lin. long, shortly white- ciliate ; pedicels 
similar, 2 1 J lin. long. Sessile spikelet oblong (in flower), at length 
ovoid or oblong-ovoid, tight or somewhat inflated, closed, up to 
4J lin. long, permanently pale straw-colour or reddish ; callus- 
beard very short. Glumes equal, papery and transparent through- 
out; lower up to 16-nerved with numerous transverse veins, very 
obscurely keeled upwards or keel-less, nerves raised from the 
base upwards, softly pubescent to almost villous, very imperfectly 
glabrescent or at length almost glabrous, hairs white ; upper broad, 
about 13-nerved, very obscurely keeled upwards, much less hairy. 
Valves conspicuously ciliate ; lower broad-elliptic, 2-J lin. long ; upper 
broad-ovate, entire and awnless or shortly 2-lobed, with a mucro or 
an awn up to 3 (rarely 5) lin. long, usually slightly bent and hardly 
twisted. Lodicules densely ciliate. Grain completely enclosed by 
the glumes or partly exposed by their breaking up, obovate to 
orbicular-obovate in outline, compressed, biconvex, dull white or 
orange ; embryo-mark faint, elliptic, slightly exceeding the middle 
of the grain. Pedicelled spikelet neuter, reduced to the glumes, 
persistent, linear or linear-lanceolate, acute, pale straw-colour or 
reddish, 3-4 lin. long, lower glume 11-13-, upper 9-nerved, shorter. 
Tropical Africa ? Without indication of locality or collector. 
/ Var. vesicular e, Stapf. Mature spikelets somewhat inflated, usually 4-4|- lin. 
long, pale straw-colour, rather hairy ; grain white. 
Nileland. Sudan : Sennar, without special localisation, Rubber Exhibition, 
London, 1914 ! 
Vernacular name “ Fakih Mestahi ” (or “ Faki el Mostahi ”). This is also 
known from India ( India Museum Collection, Kew). 
\l Var. lateritium, Stapf. Mature spikelets tight, very brittle upwards, 3^-4 lin. 
long, strongly flushed with brick-red, rather glabrescent ; grain brilliant orange. 
Nileland. Sudan : Sennar, Rubber Exhibition, London, 1914 ! 
Vernacular name “ Gedoomel TeitalF 
21. S. melaleucum, Staff. Mature panicles only known. Culms 
up to 5 lin. across at the base of the panicles. Panicle erect, 
contracted, somewhat loose, oblong, secund, almost 1 ft. by 4 in. ; 
branches more or less whorled, often many in a whorl, ascending, 
arched and ultimately somewhat nodding, slender, like the branchlets 
