The genera of South African plants : arranged according to the natural system / by William Henry Harvey.

  • William H. Harvey
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The genera of South African plants : arranged according to the natural system / by William Henry Harvey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    5. THAMNOCHORTUS, Bergiiis, Brown. Male and female spikelets nearly of tlie same form, spiked or panicled, both many-flowered. Perianth of G unequal glumes, the outer lateral pair, especially in the female flowers, often winged. Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled; style 1, undivided or with 2-3 stigmatic branches. Pi-uit compressed, 1-seeded, indehiscent.—Sheaths persistent.—Ktmth, l.c. p. 428. Sta- beroha, Kunth, l.c. p. 442. Plants having the inflorescence of Resiio or Leptocarj}u.<t, but distin- guished from tlie former by the indehiscent fruit, and from the latter by the winged glumes and usually by the single style.—14 species, all South African. G. CANNOMOIS, Beauv. Male and female spikelets dissimilar.—Males numerous, small, many-flowered, arranged in loose panicles. Perianth of G unequal glumes.—Females : Spikelets few, larger than the males, solitary or in spikes. Fertile flowers 2 or 3, lateral, ru- dimentary flowers numerous. Perianth of fertile flowers of G minute, hyaline, nearly equal glumes. Ovary ovoid, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; styles 2, distinct. Fruit oblong, compressed, leathery, 1-celled, 1-seeded, indehiscent.—The vascular bundle, which runs up the interior of the fruit to its apex where it enters the seed, becomes ultimately detached, and then gives exactly the a])pearance of a seed pendulous from the end of a raphe or funiculus. Sheaths of culm persistent.— Kunth, 1. c. p. 447. Me- santhus, Aees ; Kunth, l.c. p.4iS4i. Cucullifera, Aces; Kunth, 1. c. p. 484. Tlie inflorescence is like tliat of Thamnochorltis, but the female flowers are very diflbrent.—3 species, all natives of the Cape. 7. HYPODISCUS, Nees ab Esenb. Male and female spikelets similar, solitary or spicate.— Males many-flowered. Perianth compressed, unequally G- glumed.—Female flower solitary. Perianth not compressed, membranous, of G nearly equal glumes on a thick fleshy, or on a shoi’t slender stalk. Ovary 1-celled, sessile or stalked ; styles 2. Fruit bony, indehiscent, 1-celled, 1-seeded, stalked, smooth or tubercled, often surrounded at the base by a lobed, fleshy disk. — Sheaths of culm persistent. — Kunth, l.c.p. 481. Boeckhia, Kunth, l.c.p. 448. Lepidanthus, Nees ; Kunth, l.c. p. 404. Leucoplseus, Nees; Kimtli, l.c. p. 481. Plants with the infloi'escence and aspect of JZestio or Leptocarpus, but widely different in the female flower.—11 sjiecies, all natives of the Cape.