MELANOCENCHRIS PERROTTETII, Nob.
MELANOCENCHRIS, Nees. — Confer supra p. 36.
MELANOCEN CHRIS PERROTTETII, Nob.
Planta multicaulis, cæspitosa, perennis. Radix fibrosa ; fibris filiformibus, tenacibus, elongatis, simplicibus, albidis. Cables 4-7
poll ices longi (haud computata inflorescentia), ascendentes v. centraliores erecti, subfiliformes, angulosi, striatuli,pube minima
(oculo nudo inconspicua) asperuli, nodulosi, simplicissimi v. basi solum ramosi, basi confertim foliosi et plusminusve geniculati,
superne oligophylli (plerumque ob foliorum limbo minimo v. parum conspicuo quasi aphylli), flexuosi, ima basi radicantes.
Internodia inferiora abbreviata, inclusa. Articulus summus 3-6-pollicaris, longe exsertus. Nodi glabri v. pilosi, constricti et
medio fusco-annulati. R ami cauli similes et subæquilongi, itemque inflorescentia solitaria racemiformi terminati. F olia coriacea,
rigida, glaucescentia, striata, supra marginibnsque scabra (setulis oculo nudo inconspicuis), subtus sublævigata, marginibus
plus minusve pilosa et quasi glanduloso-denticulata (pilis nempe plerisque e basi crassa subglobosa jam oculo nudo conspicua
ortis), supra interdum villis brevibus conspersa. Folia caulina inferiora disticlie conferta, patentia v. erecto-patentia, oblongo-
lanceolata, acuta; plana v. subcomplicata, 6-18 lineas longa, basi baud raro a-a i/a lineas lata. Folia summa anguste lineàri-
lanceolata, v. subulato-filiformia, haud raro fere abortiva (yix 1 lineam longa), plerumque complicata v. involuta. Vagin*
subcoriaceæ striatæ, lævigatæ, ciliolatæ, extusplus minusve hirsulæ; inferiores a latere compressæ, carinulatæ, imbricatæ,
persistentes ; superiores involutæ, adpressæ, non ventricosæ. L igula ad densam barbulam setularum bréviumredacta. R acemi
i i/a-3 pollices longi, terminales, solitarii, quasi simplices, laxi, secundi, erecti, plus minusve flexuosi, longe exserti, e glo-
merulis 7- i 5 compositi. R hachis-primakia continua, càrtilaginea, filiformis, flexuosa, subnodulosa, compressa, glabra, ad pe-
dunculorum insertionem quasi foveolata et in appendiculum obtusum dentiformem producta, marginibus scabra (sub lente
cartilagineo-serrulata), cætero glabra; internodia sublinearia, 2-7 lineas longa (inferiora glomerulis longiora, süperiora infe-r
rioribus gradatim breviora), facie etdorso canaliculata ; internodium terminale vix ultra 1 lineam lougum, planum, obtusum,
spiculis orbatum. Glomeruli solitarii, brevissime pedunculati, altérai (præfloratione distichi et erecti, postea patentes y . cer-
nui et pedunculorum circumflexione secundi), invicem remoti, hispidissimi, glumarum aristis longe exsertis qpasi pappo 8-11-
setoso coronad (harum setarum 4 v. 6 ad.glumas spicularum perfectarum pertinentium majores; reliquæ subdimidio brevio-
res), circumscriptione turbinati.P edunculi glomerdlorum brevissimi (1/2-1 lineam longi), crassi, plus minusve arcuati, setulis
brevissimis rigidis latis dense hirtelli, apice articulati. Spiculæ quasi glomerulatæ, révéra autem âd rh'achin secundariam
brevem ( ï- iî/ a lineam latam) dense setosam fiexuosam approximatim alternæ, distichæ, subsessilés, in quovis racemulo plerumque
6 (interdum 5-v. 7), biformes: nempe spiculæ duæ infimæ majores fertiles trifloræ (flore infimo solo perfecto bipaleaceo
hermaphrodito triandro;flore proxime sequente conformi infimo at minore et masculo v. neutro; flore summominimo, neutro,
sæpissime ad paleam externam redacto) glumabivalvi, etspiculæ 4 v. 5 superiores minores imperfectæ (quorum infima spiculis per-
fectls paulo minor triflora, flore autem infimo masculo, floribus duobussuperioribusneutris; reliquæ i-v.a-floræ, floribus omnibus
neutris,sæpe ad paleam externam redactis), gluma univalvi (adpaleam inferiorem redacta). Interdum glomeruli infima solum
spicula fertilis est : tune spicula proxime sequens fconformis est spiculæ infimæ, at loco floris hermaphrodiü flore instruitur
masculo. Flores spicularum FERTiLiuM(simulac spicularum sterilium masculiflorarum) ad rhachillam filiformem glabràm gluma
breviorem basi incrassatam superne attenuatam remote altérai, distichi : flos infimus subbasilaris ; flos proxime sequens quasi
stipitatus; flos tabescens rhachillæ articulum supremum ciliolatum terminans. Flores spicuLARtiM abortivarum subsessiles in
axilla glumæ (univalvis) et rhacheos propriæ glomeruli. Gluma persistens, bivalvis ubi perfecta, univalvis (ad valvam inferiorem
redacta) in cujusve glomeruli spiculis superioribus. .Valvæ coriaceæ, rigidæ, subdivergentes, subunilaterales (quoad glomeruli
rhachin propriam extemæ, altera tarnen inferior, altera paululo altius inserta), cum pedicello spiculæ brevissimo se-
toso continuæ, æquilateræ, uninerviæ, ecarinatæ, subæquilongæ et dissimiles (ubi geminæ), dorso ad latera (interdumque
etiam adnervum) setis albidis pluriserialibus hispidissimæ (quasi plumosæ), facie glabræ aut ad nervum plus minusve hispidæ,
apice attenuatæ in aristam setaceo-subulatam scabram basi ad margines setoso-plumosam. V alva inferior (florum et valvæ
superioris respectu subtransverse posita), circiter a lineas longa (adjecta arista 4- 4i/a lineas longa), lineari-subulata, plana,
immarginata, apiceintegerrima, arista plusminusve geniculata. "Valva superior valva inferipri subbrevior at ob marginem
hyalino-membranaceum inflexum glaberrimum subtriplo latior, oblonga, concava (florem antepositum subamplectens), apice
obtuse bilobulata, arista recta. Glumell* pale* chartaceo-membranaceæ, semi-pellucidæ, albidæ, inæquales, dissimiles. Palea
externa (florum hermaphroditorum v. masculorum) circiter a lineas longa (glumæ valvis, harum aristis prætermissis,paulo lon-
gior), navicularis, carinulata (nervo medio), trinervia (nervo medio filiformi, superne subincrassato ; nervis lateralibus tener-
fimis, ante valvæ apicem evanescentibus), ovàlis, sensim acuminata, apice integerrimq suhulato-aristulata, facie glabra,