breviter pedicellatis brevioribus, palea inferiore subsericea acuta quinquenervi basi barbata dorso scabrida,
superiore breviore bifida, squamubs basi connatis, foliis subdistiche insertis longissimis latis planis carinatis
glaberrimis, culmis cæspitosis compressis. (T a b . LY.)
Tar. ft minor, spiculis minoribus subtrifloris.
H a b . Lord Aucilaud’s group and CampbeU’s Island; on banks and in rocky places, cliiefly near the
sea, very abundant, p. more common in CampbeU’s Island ; grouing amongst rocks. McQuarrie’s Island,
{Rerh. Hook.)
Rhizomata prostrata, crassa, lignosa, 3 ^ unc. longa, crassitie digiti minoris et infra, creberrime nodosa, radices
plurimas fibrosas ubique emittentia. reliquiis fibrosis folionun vetustorum obtecta, cæspites densos magnos scabeHum
simulantes efficientia, versus apices culmos plurimos emittentia ; fibris 8-4 unc. longis, filiformibus, subrigidis, hic
iUic tortis. simplicibus v. fibrillosis. Culmi validi, erecti, 2-3 ped. longi, | - f unc. lati, basi compressi et foliis ab-
breviatis vaginati ; in var. p, 6 unc. ad pedalem et gracdiores. Folia plmfima, plantis junioribus præsertim distiche
inserta, longissime linearia. flexuosa. culmum longe superantia. 3-4 ped. longa, gradatim attenuata, latiuscula,
unc. latitudine, plana, per totam longitudinem carinata, glaberrima, striata, utrinque opaca, herbácea, læte viridia.
subtus glaucescentia. Vaginæ latæ, 3M unc. longæ, compressæ, striatæ, opacæ, ad basili fissæ, foliorum vetustorum
1 unc. latæ, emarcidæ fibrosæ ; ore paulo contracto, sæpe fusco-bnmneo ; ligula conica, longitndme varia, scariosa,
acuta T . obtnsa, inteera v. lacera. Panicula lineari-oblonga, contracta, valde compressa, decomposita, nutans v. in-
clinata, 6-8 unc. longa, 1-3 lata, rachi vahda, tereti, glaberrima; ramis suberectis, compositis, 1 4 -2 une. longis.
glabeiTÎniis, pohtis, multifloris. Spiculæ pedicellatæ. 2A-3 lin. longæ, pedicello gracili, currato. Glumarum mlvæ
æquales, lanceolatæ, acuminatæ, flosculis breviores, concavæ, sub-carinatæ, basi trinerves ; nerris tenuibus, intermedio
dorso vis scaberulo, lateralibus medium vis attingentibus. Flosculi 3-5, plerumque 4, inferior sessilis, reliqui breviter
pedicellati, pedicello glabro. Fa ka infericr subherbacea, acuminata, apice subincurva, dorso ciliata, basi
breviter villoso-barbata, subsericea, quinqucnerris. Palea superior paulo brevior, oblonga, bifida, bicarinata, carinis
cüiatis. Squamulæ basi camosæ et connatæ, subquadratæ. obhque bifidæ ; segmentis acutis, erosis ; in var f t oho-
vatæ, bipartitæ, segmentis acuminatis. Stamina 3 ; filamentis elongatis ; antheris exsertis, strammeis. Ovarium
minÎTïmm ovatum ; stylis basi approximatis, elongatis ; stigmatilus pai’ce plumosis.
A grass of large growth and very leafy, affording a rich and nutritious food for animals ; in some cases it forms
large mounds or tussacks. not unlike those of the Bactylis cæspitosa of the Falkland Islands (the Tussaok grass), but
smaller ; with, however, a similarly luxuriant habit. In size it varies extremely, from several feet to a few inches in
height, and from a robust to rather a slender habit ; it is only indeed when growing in largo masses that it assumes
a characteristic appearance, in this respect further resembling the celebrated grass above mentioned. Tbe smaU
specimen from McQuarrie’s Island especially, I should have been inclined to regard as another species, had the plant
not appeared in a similarly starved state in Campbell’s Island. In the large culms the ample sheaths of the old
leaves conceal the compressed form and distichous insertion of the leaves, which are very marked in the younger
ones, and in certain states as conspicuous as in small states of the Tussack grass itself.
I t is with much hesitation that I refer this to Festuca, for I know no species of that genus with a similarly leafy
and soft habit, or with compressed culms and distichous leaves, the only one indeed which appears to hear any
resemblance to it is the F. Fonax, Lowe, a Madeira plant, and that merely in being of a large size and having a
somewhat simüar large and branched panicle. The want of the arista alone at the apex of the lower palea restrains
me from placing it with what is certainly its nearest ally, the true Tnssack Grass.
P late LY. Fiy. 1, spikelet ; fig. 2, a floret ; fig. 3, connote squamulæ ; fig. 4, one squamula of var. p - ,f ig .i ,
ovarium, style and stigmata :— all z
6. POA, L.
1. P oa annua, Lirm., Sp. jgl. 99 . et auctorum.
H ab. Lord Auckland’s group; abundant on the tomb of a French sailor, growing with Stellaria
media, With. ; both undoubtedly introduced.
This is the common European fonn of the plant ; it has not as yet spread far from the ahovæ locality.
2. P oa ramosissima. Hook, fil.; glaberrima, panicula contracta ovato-lanceolata, ramis strictis suberectis
altemis bis terve divisis, spicubs ovatis 3Mj-floris, glumis acutis, flosculis basi remotis, palea inferiore
acuta quinqueuervi, foliis planis paniculam snperantibns vagimsque lævibus, ligula late ovata apice truncata
lacera, culmis laxe cæspitosis basi longe nudis et pro.stratis superne fasciculatim ramosissimis, ramis brevibus
omnibus floriferis.
Var. ft palea exteriore basi extus longe riUoso-barbata.
H a b . Lord Auckland’s group ; very common on tbe rocks overhanging tbe sea, traibng over banks, &c.
S. Campbell’s Island ; plentiful on the faces of IrUls sloping to the south ; rare in Lord Auckland’s group.
Gramen gi'egarium, late supra terram diffusum, pascuum copiosmn efficiens, pedale et rdtra. Culmi elongati,
longe prostrati, pars prostrata nuda, simplex, pedabs, crassitie pennæ corvinæ, rigida, fusca, vagims emarcidis et
fibrosis foborum vetustoriun vestita, nodosa ; internodiis teretibus, glaberrimis ; uodis incrassatis. Rami plmimi,
ab apice partis prostrati erecti v. ascendentes. fascicidati, pluries divisi. 3-4 une. longi, fobosi, omnes floriferi, graciles,
basi pare nodosi, foliis emarcidis subcriniti. Folia erecta, paniculam superantia, 3-4 unc. loug.a, anguste
bneari-snbiflata, vix A bn. lata, planiuscula, glabenlma, obsolete striata, utrinque opaca. Vaginæ laminam longitud.
subæquantes, teretes, læves, striatæ, ad basin fissæ, marginibus subscariosis, cobo interdum castaneo ; ligula scariosa,
late ovata, superne abrupte truncata, lacera. Fanicula erecta. hneari-oblouga v. ovato-lanceolata, 1-lA imc. longa.
A unc. lata, compressa, ramosa ; rachi gracib. angulata, lævi ; ramis altemis, erectis, A imc. longis, spiculas pcdicel-
latas 3-4 gerentibus. Spiculæ berbaceæ, ovato-lanceolatæ, 2 bn. longæ, 3-6-floræ. Glumarum valvoe subæquales,
concavæ, acutæ, glaberrimæ, floscubs breviores ; superior latior, trincrvis ; inferior acuminata, uninervis. FloscuU
dissiti, longius pedicellati, infimo sessili ; pedicello glahen-imo v. infra paleam barbato. Falca infetior late ovata,
acuta, quinquenervis, nerris laterabbus obscuris, glabcmma, var. ^ excepta ubi palea basi villoso-barbata evadit.
Palea superior bneari-oblonga, inferiore brerior, apice bifida, bicaiinata, carinis glabris. Stamina 3 ; filamentis
brevibus ; anthei'is stramineis, inclusis.
Tlbs is a very abimdant gi-ass in both groups of islands aud of a most singular habit of growdh. The cidms are
invariably prostrate and quite simple for a foot or so. when they suddenly ascend aud tbvide into many short, leafy
branches, each bearing a pamele of flowers. It forms a copious, soft, green herbage, especiaUy on tlie banks near
the sea, always throwing its long ciüms over the edges of the cbffs, which are thus fringed with a dchcate festoon
of green.
The almost constant presence of a viUons tuft at the base of the lower palea, in the Campbell’s Island specimens,
is a singular cireumstaiicc ; hut as I have detected no further distinctioii between these two varieties, aud in some
specimens observed iutcrmediate grades, it cannot he considered as a character of specific importance.
3. P o a breviglumis. Hook, fil.; glaberrima, panicula luxa erecta paucifiora, radii gracili, ramis suberectis
oppositis V. subvcrticillatis divisis versus apices lloiifcris, spiculis obovato-oblongis 4-floris, glumarum
valvis iiiæquabbus inferiore minima, superiore flosculis A breviore apice bifida v. emarginata, floscubs pedi