241 
Andropogon.] clvii. gramine^j (Stapf). 
long, often with a subulate rudimentary blade. Peduncles filiform, 
exserted, with a tuft of hairs at the upper end. Eacemes paired, one 
sessile, the other with a slender base (2J-3 lin. long), subparallel, silky, 
1-1 J in. long ; joints filiform, 2J lin. long, with slightly widened 
and minutely cupular and denticulate tips, densely hairy all over 
the back and the edges, hairs very fine, white, up to 2J lin. long ; 
pedicels similar but slightly shorter, tips very obscurely or not at 
all toothed. Sessile spikelet narrowly linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 
3-3J lin. long, straw-coloured, often tinged with red or purple. 
Glumes glabrous, membranous ; lower minutely truncate, nerveless 
and slightly sunk between the fine scaberulous keels : upper shortly 
aristulate, 3-nerved and ciliate upwards. Lower floret reduced to 
a lanceolate-oblong acute 1 -nerved ciliolate valve, about 3 lin. long. 
Upper floret $ ; valve lanceolate, deeply 2-fid, 1 -nerved, 2J lin. 
long ; awn 7-8 lin. long, kneed at or below the middle ; valvule 
ovate, less than 1 lin. long, glabrous. Anthers 2 lin. long. Pedi- 
celled spikelets $ , linear-lanceolate, 3J lin. long, glabrous, purplish ; 
lower glume shortly aristulate, 6-7 -nerved, upper hyaline, 3-nerved ; 
valves of both florets hyaline, 1 -nerved, 2J-3 lin. long. 
Nile Land. British Somaliland : common in the Hand and at Bohotle, 
Appleton ! and without precise locality, Drake- Brockman, 43 ! 44 ! 
A very valuable fodder grass. Vernacular name “ Dur. , ' > According to Apple- 
ton it grows thickly in most parts of Italian Somaliland. 
25. A. Bentii, Stapf in Kew Bulletin, 1907, 224. Suffrutescent, 
many-noded ; branches spreading, recurved or ascending, glabrous, 
terete, hard, internodes of the flowering branches more or less ex- 
serted, those of the main culms up to 1 in. long, of the branches about 
| in. long. Leaves glabrous ; sheaths persistent, terete, tight, firm, 
smooth ; ligules reduced to a minute membranous rim ; blades 
attenuated from a slightly rounded base to a fine point, 5-10 lin. 
long, J-f lin. wide, subglaucous, firm, smooth, primary lateral nerves 
about 2 on each side ; subtending leaf with a very narrow greenish 
sheath, about 1 in. long and with or without a rudimentary blade. 
Peduncles finely filiform, up to 1 J in. long, shortly exserted, bearded 
at the tips. Eacemes 2-nate (one sessile, the other with a short base) 
or solitary, 5-10 lin. long, loosely silky- villous ; joints filiform, very 
slightly wider upwards, 1 J lin. long, with straight or almost straight 
tips, hairy along the edges only, hairs white, lower short, uppermost 
up to 1J lin. long ; pedicels like the joints. Sessile spikelet lanceolate, 
acute, 2J lin. long, pale ; callus minute, very shortly bearded. 
Glumes equal, lower chartaceous, smooth and shining on the back, 
with a shallow groove and 3 greenish nerves on each side. Upper 
finely 3-nerved, ciliate. Lower floret reduced to a lanceolate acute 
valve, hyaline, faintly 3-nerved, ciliolate, lin. long. Upper floret 
$ : valve lanceolate, 2-fid to one-third, 1 \ lin. long ; awn about 
4 lin. long, very fine, kneed at or below the middle ; valvule ovate 
FL. TROP. AFR. VOL. IX. R 
