Hi'
deinde ascendentes, foliis plurimis per totam longitudinem vaginati, rma cum folns 1 unc. diametr., graciles, nodosi ;
internodiis sub 2-uncialibus ; nodis constrictis, brunneis. Folia longissima, 3 -4 pedalia, basi longe vaginantia,
liueari-elongata, in apicem subfiliformem gradatim desinentia, paniculam longe superantia, per totam longitudinem
involuta, glaberrima, coriacea, profunde striata, læria, polita, viridi-straminea, supra pallide lorescentia; marginibus
lærissimis, prope ligulam parce pilosis. Vagmce elongatæ, interdum pedales, ad basin fissæ, compressæ, iuleriores
paulo cun'atæ, sulcatæ, coriaceæ, ad margines scariosæ, inferne indm*atoe, snblignosæ, pallide flavæ ; Ugula tenuissima,
sericeo-barbata. Fanicula subcoai’ctata, ovata v. ovato-oblonga, compressa, 4-6 unc. longa, miütiflora, ramosa ;
raclii glaberrima, angulata; ramis gi-acillimis divisis, ad axillos pilosis v. barbatis. Spiculæ pedicellatæ; f - 1 unc.
longæ, ovato- v. lineari-oblongæ, ^ unc. latæ, multi-8-ll-flores, pallide flavæ, nitidæ. Glumæ coriaceæ, flosculis
■| breriores, valvæ lanceolatæ, concavæ, ecarinatæ, glaberrimæ, obscm*e quinquenerves, nerris tribus interioribus iiiter-
dmn supra medium in uunm coalitis ; valva superior major, nerris magis distinctis, marginibus inferne sericeo-ciliatis.
Flosculi pedicellati, basi reinotiusculi ; pedicellis dense idlloso-barbatis. Faleæ 2, coriaceæ, subæquales, inferior
concava, ad margines doi*soque basi sericea, superne bifida, inter segmenta Iauceolato-subulata longe aiistata, 5-7
nerris, nervds extus costatis; arista erecta v. patula, valida, palea bis longiore, scabriuscula, straminea. Palea superior
lineari-oblonga, apice bidentata, longitudinaliter plicata, bicarinata ; carinis dorso ciMatis, basi extus sericeis.
Squamulæ 2, ovatæ, acuminatæ, integræ. Stamiria 3, inclusa ; autJieris fulris. Ovariim obovatum, compressiun,
sub-longe stipitatum; stylis basì remotis; stigmatibus parce plumosis.
Tliis is a fine species and quite distinct from any other ; it grows throughout the islands in great abundance,
especially on the upland regions, where it forms much the greater proportion of the herbage, appealing in large, often
isolated tussacks, one or tw'o feet in diameter. Amongst them the Albatrosses are wont to raise their cuiious nests,
which they construct of dirt and the straw of this grass, moulded into the form of a very large low Stilton cheese, with
a shallow hollow at top : in these they lay a solitary egg weighing 16—20 oz. So strong is their attachment to their
progeny that in no instance can an Albatross be removed from its charge without actual force ; they rigorously
defend theii* nests, stiiking boldly at the ^gressor with their bills, so that it is sometimes difficult to obtain possession
of the egg at aU without cruelty to these beautiful and snow-white bii-ds, whose confidence in man leads
them to suspect no evil until actuîilly attacked, and whose self-denjing devotion to theii* yoimg deserves a different
treatment. The great size and beauty of the egg, coupled with its rarity in European collections, are attractions
too strong to be resisted ; and even had it not these reasons for being prized, it possesses in the excellence of its contents
for culinary purposes a great recommendation to the members of a mess long restricted to salt provisions.
The tufts of Broinus antarcticus are of a very rigid, hard and wiry consistence, and after a few hours sunshine
become so di*y, that on being ignited a rapidly devouring flame quickly spreads fr*om one hummock to another,
until many acres are blazing in a most alaiming manner. A fire incautiously kindled on one occasion by a small
party of officers, soon covered many mües of ground ; after consuming aU the Bromus in its neighbourhood, it communicated
with the brushwood which borders the woods, and thence to the low dense forest itself, for many hours
threatening the destruction of the observatories and our little temporary village ashore ; the progi'ess of the fire
was happily checked for a time by a small stream, until a severe storm of sleet, which the falling bai*ometer and
unusual (for these latitudes) fineness of the weather had predicted, finally put an end to the conflagi-ation. From
the ships in the harbour the sight was very grand, especially at night, the flames seeming to leap from spot to spot
wherever this grass prevailed.
P late LIV. Fig. 1, a spikelet ; jig. 2, a floret removed from the spikelet ; fig. 3, squamulæ, stamina and ovarium,
&c. ; fig. 4, two forms of the squamulæ :—all magnified.
5. FESTUCA, L.
1. F e s tu c a scoparla, Hook. fil. ; panicula paucifiora subcoarctata, spiculis compressis majusculis 4 - 5 -
floris, glumarum valvis subæqualibus trinerviis flosculis brevioribus, palea inferiore scaberula basi longe
FLO RA ANTARCTICA.
villoso-barbata apice subacuta, foliis arcte involutis plerumque longissime lineari-filifonnibus rigidis gradatim
attenuatis, culmis erectis fasciculatis superne gracilibus nudis.
Far. /3, minor, foliis culmo subæquilongis.
H ab. Lord Auckland’s group and CampbeU’s Is lan d ; abundant, especiaUy iu rocky places near the
sea ; /3. Campbell’s Island, on ledges of rock, alt. 1000 feet.
Gramen elatum, 2-3 pedale, suberectum, cæspites magnos densos præsertim inter rapes efficiens. Radix fibrosa,
fibris intertextis, crassis, diametr. pennæ corvinæ, elongatis, 1-2 uncialibus, tortis, ramosis, suberosis v. spongiosis,
pallide fuscis, fibrillosis v. interdum subtomentosis. Culmi plurimi, dense fasciculati, copiose fobosi, basi una cum
vagims foliorum 4- unc. diametri, ima basi divisi, e pai-te infima prostrata, ramosa, bgnosa, ascendentes, graciles, 1-2
pedales, glabeniini, vix striati, bis terve nodosi; internodiis 2-3 unciabbus; nodis constrictis, fiavo-fuscis. Folia
longissima, anguste bneari-filiformia, gi*adatim attenuata, subflexuosa, culmum bis terve superantia, basi longe vaginantia,
per totam longitudinem arcte involuta, glaben-ima, striata, subrigidc coriacea, vaginis angustiora, in l'ar. /3,
folia stricta, rigida, culmo breviora. Vaginæ bneares, elongatæ, 8-10 une. longæ, ad basin latiorcm fissæ, superne
hiantes, palbde stramineæ, læves, nitidæ ; ad orem utrinque in auriculas breves sm-smn productæ ; ligula horizon-
tab, angusta, inconspicua. Panicula 3-5 unc. longa, suberecta v. paulo inclinata, parce ramosa, paucifiora; rachi
gi-acbi, scabrida; ramis altérais, angulatis, scabridis, 3-5-floris. Spiculæ pedicebatæ, valde compressæ, ovato-ob-
lougæ, sub 4 bn. longæ, 4-floræ. Glumarum valvæ coriaceæ, subæquales, floscubs breriores, lanceolatæ, acutæ,
concavæ, dorso nervisque scabridis, inferiore paibo minore. Floscidi dissiti, inferior subsessilis, rebqui pediceUati,
pedicebo nisi ad basin floscuU nudo. Palea inferior bneari-oblonga, subacuta, dorso convexa, basi longe riboso-
barbata, extus parce pilosa, quinqucnerris, nervis prominentibus, extus scabridis. Palea superior ^ brerior, apice
bifida, bicarinata, carinis scabrido-cüiatis. Squamulæ obovato-oblongæ, ad medium bipartitæ ; segmentis inæqualibus,
ovato-subulatis, acuminatis. Stamina 3 ; filamentis breriuseubs ; antheris paulo exsertis, stramineis. Ovarium
minutum, late obovatum ; stylis basi discretis. Caryopsis glabra, palea 4- brerior, obovata, apice gibbosa, latere unico
excavata, stybs laterabbus.
Tliis plant is most nearly albed to Festuca ? littoralis, Br. (Prodr., p. 178), from which it differs, according to
our specimens from various pai-ts of New HoUand, Tasmania, and New Zealand, in the longer leaves, fewær flowered
panicle, narrower florets, in the entire absence of any tootliing at the apex of the lower palea, and in the long vibous
beard at its base. That plant also has tm-gid distichous approximated florets, resembling those of a Uniola. I have
referred this species to Festuca, as Mi-. Brown has the F. littoralis, though with a mark of doubt ; they are manifestly
congeneric, but in this I see no approach to the character of Banthonia ; they fiu-thcr bear a good deal of resemblance
to the F. spadicea, L., a South of Em-ope plant.
Of M. Labblardiei-e’s F. littoralis we have an authenticaUy named specimen, gathered by that voyager himseb,
and received from our Uberai correspondent !Mr. Webb of Paris ; it entfrely resembles the figm-e given iu ‘ Plantæ
Nov. Holl.’ (t. 27), especiaUy in the branching and elongated lowær portion of the culm, but the pccUcels of the
florets are decidedly hairy and the lowæi- palea truncated, characters not portrayed in the plate aUuded to, but which
Mr. BrowTi has observed in his plant. This species Nees v. Esenbeck notices in liis ‘ Graniina Novæ Hobandiæ,’
(rid. Lond. Journ. of Bot., vol. ii. p. 419), as “ Schedoiiorus Billardierianus, N. ab E., Poa littoralis, Lab. nec
R. Br.,” and further quotes Mr. Gunn’s specimens, which agree with Labblardicre’s oivn and with Mi*. Brown’s
description. Kunth (Agrost., p. 409), unites these two plants, retaining them under a section o? Festucæ wliich
includes his “ species anomalæ, minus cognitoe et dubiæ.” Sprengel refers it to Triodia, and Ti-inius in liis beautiful
work places it in Arwido ! {A. triodioides, Trin. Species Gramin. vol. in.)
2. P estuca/ oS oí«. Hook. fil. ; panicula inclinata majnseula coarctata ramosa multiflora, ramis erectis
compositis, spicuHs sub 4-floris late ovatis, glumarum valris lanceolatis v. acuminatis æqualibus, flosculis i l l