376 clvii. geamine^: (Stapf). [ Hyparrhenia . 
Nile Land. Abyssinia : Tia;re ; Mount Arba Tensesa, 8000 ft., Schimper, 
349 ! 
This has the appearance of a starved shade form. 
55. H. involucrata, Stapf. Annual (?) ; base and calm-leaves 
unknown, but see description \of subtending leaves. Spatheate 
panicle foliate, lax, secund, somewhat nodding, up to over 2| ft. 
long, lowest internodes about 10 in. long, the following 2 or 3 between 
5 and 6 in. long; primary branches forming 3- or upwards 4-5- 
rayed tiers ; lowest tier of very unequal compound rays, the lowest 
up to over 1 ft. long and 2-noded, the following mixed or the upper- 
most of simple rays only ; simple rays very unequal, from 4 to less than 
1 in. long, glabrous : lowest subtending leaves resembling normal 
leaves, their spathes slightly inflated, glabrous and smooth ; ligules 
scarious, truncate, ciliolate, up to f lin. long ; blades linear, narrowed 
downwards to a rounded almost clasping base, tapering to a slender 
point, over Jft. by 2| lin., flaccid, pale green, glabrous or shortly and 
sparingly pubescent below, very rough all over ; midrib slender, 
upper subtending leaves with spathaceous sheaths and rapidly 
reduced blades. Spatheoles cymbiform-lanceolate, setaceously long 
acuminate, 2-2 J in. by 2 lin., very thinly scarious, .pale tinged with 
livid purple, glabrous, at length loosely inrolled and narrow ; peduncles 
slender, at length f-1 in. long, quite glabrous, flexuous or slightly 
arched upwards or almost straight. Racemes permanently con- 
tiguous or subcontiguous, laterally exserted from the spatheole, 
up to 9 lin. long, greenish or brownish, glabrous, 4-awned per pair ; 
raceme-bases very short, stout, dorsally compressed, pubescent in 
the fork, tardily disarticulating between the homogamous pairs, 
obliquely truncate ; joints linear, filiform, up to over 1 lin. long, 
densely and shortly white-ciliate, tips truncate, not auricled ; 
pedicels very similar, slightly longer. Homogamous pairs of 
spikelets 2 at the base of each raceme, forming an involucre. Fertile 
spikelets linear-lanceolate, subacuminate, including the callus 4J lin. 
long, pale green, flattened on the back, rounded on the sides ; callus 
very slender and acute, lj lin. long, shortly and densely bearded. 
Glumes equal, firmly chartaceous, lower 2-mucronulate, quite smooth 
except the short scaberulous subterminal keels, 11 -nerved, nerves 
subequal, the inner 5 ending below the hyaline tips, margins involute 
up to the acumen ; upper glume deltoid-acute, 3-nerved, reversedly 
ciliate upwards. Lower floret reduced to a hyaline oblong 2-nerved 
reversedly ciliate valve. Upper floret ^ : valve stipitiform, over 
2J lin. long with a narrow hyaline margin adnate all along, awn from 
over 2-4 in. long, fulvous, column fulvously hairy, hairs up to 1 lin. 
long ; valvule 0. Anthers 1J lin. long. Pedicelled spikelets or 
neuter, linear-lanceolate, acutely acuminate, 4J lin. long ; lower 
glume thin, produced from between 2 minute teeth into a fine bristle 
(up to 10 lin. long), about 11-nerved, keels upwards scaberulous ; 
