362 
clvii. gramine^: (Stapf). [Hypanhenia. 
simple and 5- (or more- ?) noded below the panicle. Leaf -sheaths 
firm, terete, the lowest with a blunt keel and very sparingly hairy 
upwards, otherwise like the upper, glabrous and smooth ; ligules 
scarious, firm, very short, rounded or truncate, reddish ; blades linear 
from a narrowed or the upper from a rounded and somewhat con- 
stricted base, tapering to a fine point, up to 1J ft. by 3-4 lin., purplish- 
brown, firm, somewhat rigid, densely hirsute behind the ligule and 
sparingly to very sparingly so higher up, glabrous and smooth below, 
rough on and above the margins and all over in the uppermost part ; 
midrib stout towards the base, slender upwards, primary lateral 
nerves about 4 on each side, slender, raised above. Spatheate 
panicle very narrow, more or less interrupted, up to over 14 ft. long, 
consisting of 1-2 flowering branches undivided at the base and 4-5 
mostly mixed tiers somewhat distant below and approximate upwards ; 
lowest branches and compound rays up to § ft. long, rarely more than 
2-noded, with long basal internodes and simple secondary tiers ; 
tiers up to 6- or more-rayed, ultimate rays about 4-1 in. long ; lower 
subtending leaves like the preceding leaves, the upper more spath- 
aceous with rapidly shortening blades, their sheath-portions glabrous 
or very sparingly hairy. Spatheoles linear-lanceolate, acutely acumi- 
nate, 1-1 f in. long by 1 lin., scarious, reddish, glabrous or sparingly 
and very finely hairy downwards or loosely hirsute, at length loosely 
convolute ; peduncles very slender, filiform, arching or recurved 
upwards, at length often more or less straightened out, and equalling 
or exceeding (1-lf in.) the spatheoles, with fine spreading tubercle- 
based hairs 1J-2 lin. long from the upper part. Racemes subcon- 
tiguous or more or less spreading and finally epinastically reflexed, 
reddish or brownish-yellow, 5-6 lin. long, 2-awned per pair ; bases 
unequal, densely bearded with hairs like those of the pedicels, with 
a narrow oblong unequally 2-dentate scarious purple or brown 
appendage up to 1J lin. long ; pedicels finely filiform, up to 1| lin. 
long, equally and shortly ciliate on both sides. Homogamous 
pair of spikelets 1 at the base of the lower raceme only. 
Fertile spikelets narrowly linear, subacuminate, including the 
callus 3 lin. long, pale, fuscescent upwards, glabrous ; callus 
slender, 4 lin. long, acute, short white-bearded. Glumes equal, 
chartaceous, the lower 2-dentate or 2-mucronate, with broadly 
rounded sides, 7-nerved, the middle nerve raised between 2 fine 
grooves, margins involute below the tips, keels fine, scabrid ; upper 
glume obliquely truncate, minutely mucronulate, 3-nerved. Lower 
floret reduced to a narrow linear-oblong sub-2-nerved reversedly 
ciliate hyaline valve over 2 lin. long. Upper floret ^ : valves 
stipitiform, with 2 small subulate hyaline teeth, awn very slender, 
1J-1J in., long; column finely pubescent; valvule 0. Pedicelled 
spikelets neuter or linear-lanceolate, reddish or brownish, glabrous ; 
lower glume 7-9-nerved, acute, mucronate or very shortly aristulate, 
scabrid along the keels ; upper very acute, 3-nerved, ciliate upwards ; 
