261 
Andropogon.'] clvii. graminetE (Stapf). 
shorter, 1-nerved; anthers 1-1J lin. long. — A. gayanus , Franch. 
Contr. FI. Congo Frang. 18, not of Kunth. 
Lower Guinea. French Gaboon : Cape Lopez, Chevalier , 4336 ! Gaboon 
River, Mann, 1027 ! between Loango and Brazzaville, DybowsTci, 101 ! 
Mayomba, Lecomte ! Niari, Thollon ! Belgian Congo : Kisantu, Gillet, 146 ! 
According to Dybowski this grass in places grows so densely as to become 
almost impassable. 
42. A. gayanus, Kunth, Rev. Gram. i. 163 (name only) ; Enum. 
PI. i. 491. Perennial, tufted. Culms from a few feet to 10 ft. 
high, terete, more or less stout, up to over 3 lin. in diam., glabrous, 
smooth, many-noded, producing flowering branches from the third 
node or above it. Leaves glabrous or softly pubescent, rarely villous 
or tomentose ; sheaths tight, terete, striate, if wider than the base 
of the blade then forming more or less rounded shoulders or only 
very shortly produced into auricles adnate to the ligule ; ligules 
short, rounded or truncate, glabrous or more or less hairy on the 
back, rarely exceeding 1 lin. ; blades linear to lanceolate-linear, 
the lower usually from a much attenuated base, tapering to a fine 
point, over 1 ft. long, from a few to 8 lin. wide, rarely wider, 
moderately firm, glaucescent or at length reddish, margins scabrid, 
midrib stout, whitish in the larger leaves, flat above, much project- 
ing and rounded below, often forming a terete petiole at the base, 
lateral nerves very slender. Inflorescence an often ample, on the 
whole contracted subdecompound panicle of up to 6 (or more ?) 
primary downwards frequently mixed 2- to many-rayed tiers (9-18- 
rayed in var. bisquamulatus), the inner ray of the lower or lowest 
tiers often up to 1 ft. (sometimes up to 2 ft. long) with 2-4 secondary 
few-rayed tiers ; spathes except the uppermost with usually well 
developed blades, glabrous ; rays filiform, the simple of a tier 
subfastigiate, 2-3 in. long. Spatheoles herbaceous, membranous 
towards the edges, lanceolate-oblong with a short or often minute 
and subulate or setaceous blade or quite bladeless and acute, 
2J-3 in. long, pale green, at length more or less tightly in- 
rolled, rarely turning red ; peduncles stoutly filiform, at length 
terminally exserted (sometimes by 2 in.), straight. Eacemes 
2-nate, l|-2f in. long, one sessile, the other with a bare base 
about 2 lin. long, both more or less erect and straight, more or 
less villous at least on one side ; joints stout, cuneate-clavate, 
2-2J lin. long, terminating in an unequally dentate cupule, 
villously-ciliate on one or both sides, usually glabrous on the back ; 
pedicels similar, with the tips produced on each side into a tooth. 
Sessile spikelet, including the obtuse callus which is bearded at the 
base and mostly glabrous above it, 3J-4 (rarely 4J) lin. long, oblong, 
greenish or sometimes tinged with brown or red. Glumes equal ; 
lower obtuse or subobtuse, entire or minutely 2-toothed, flat on the 
back with a longitudinal groove, corresponding to a projecting 
