390
li !
{Qramineæ.
unequal, persistent. Lower tieuler flowers of one owned palea, the lower shortest. Lawer galea of fertile flower
acuminate, not awned.
2. D i p l a x H o o k . fil. ; glaberrima, cGmis gracilibus elongatis nodosis ramosis, foliis angustis,
racemis simplicibus paucifloris, spiculis inferioribus breve peGcellatis, paleis fl. neutr. breviter aristatis,
inferiore paGo breviore, 11. hermapbr. pGea Meriore acuta v. mucronata, stamimbus 4.
H ab . Northern Island ; East Coast, base of Kualiine range, etc., Colenso.
A very different-looking Grass from B. avenacea, quite smooth. Culms slender, 3-4 feet long, knotted, aud
branchmg at the knots. Leaves narrow, 4-8 Gches long. Raceme slender, simple, few-flowered. SgikeUU sessile,
the lower on short pedicels. Paleæ of the neuter flowers with short awns. Stamens four.
Gen. IV. ALOPECURUS, L.
Glumæ 2, naviculares, subæquales, basi connatæ, 1-floræ. Paleæ 1-2, marginibus connatis v. Kberis;
mfenor carinata, dorso sæpius aristata; superior brevior, 1-nervis, v. 0. Squamulæ 0. Stamma 3. Cary-
opm elHptica, compressa, inter glumas induratas paleasque Hbera.—CGmi sæpius simplices. Folia plana.
Pameulæ eonf, ' ' ' " ~
A genus almost whoUy confined to the temperate and frigid regions of the Northern hemisphere ; one species
is common to the Arctic aud Antarctic regions (Euegia), and the New Zealand one is fonnd both in Tasmania aud
in Europe. Culms generally simple, with flat leaves, Panicks contracted into dense, pale, cylindrical spikes.
Spikelets one-flowered. Glumes laterGly flattened, boat-shaped, keeled, joined together below. Paleæ one or two, free
01 connate ; lower keeled, often awned at the back ; npper when present smaller, one-nerved. Stamens three. Caryopsis
compressed, free, included iu the hardened glumes and paleæ. (Name from aXamrjt, a fox, and oupos, a tail.)
1. Alopecurus geniculatus, L. ; culmis cæspitosis basi geniculatis, panicula contracta cylindracea,
glumis pubescentibus, pGea dorso mfra meGum aristata.—^**7. Bot. t. 1250. A. austrafls, Nees in
Mitchell’s Australia.
H ab . Northern and MidGe Islands ; marsbj places. East (
b Coast, Colenso. Canterbury, Lyall. (A
native ot England.)
The Foxtail Grass of England.— CaÌM and haves quite smooth ; the former li- fl* feet high, ascending, bent
below. Pamcle contracted into a soft, downy, cylindrical, green spike. 1-1- 2* inches long. Spikelets imbricated
on a woolly rachis. Glumes downy and fringed. Palea with an awn of variable length inserted at or below the
middle, sometimes at the base.
Gen. V. PASPALUM, L.
2-floræ, cum pedicello articulate ; flore inferiore neutro, superiore hermaphrodito. Gluma I,
rarissime 2, iGenor minuta, superior (antica) florem neutrum æquans. Fl. neutr. Palea mutica, membranacea.
Fl. hermaph. Palea 2, coriaceæ, muticæ, inferior concava superiorem 2-nervem amplectens.
1 2, carnosæ, breves. Ovanum sessile. Caryopsis oblonga, intra pGeas induratas libera.—Culmi
SpicGæ in rachem continuam spicatoe, unilatérales.
A veiy extensive tropical genus, rare iu the temperate regions of both the North and South hemispheres. Many
of the species have very wide ranges.— simple or hranched. Spikelets small, two-flowered, jointed on short
stalks, arranged along one side of a continuous often flattened rachis. Glumes 1- 2. lower minute, upper os long as
the neuter flower. Uwer fiower neuter, with one membranous palea; upper hermaphrodite, with two coriaeeous,
blunt paleæ, of which the lower surrounds the two-nerved upper. Scales two. fleshy, Canjopsis included in the
hardened paleæ. (Name from Trao-TrcAXoç, a Greek name for Millet)
1. Paspalum scrohiculatum, lAmi, ; glabrum, foliis planis marginibus scaberulis, spicis 3 -6 alternis
basi sæpius setigeris, racbi lata, spiculis 2-seriatis imbricatis, floscubs glabris ovato-orbiculatis, glumis
3-nerviis.—Liim. Mant. P. orbiculare, Forst. Frodr. Br. Prodr. A. Rich. Flor. A. Ounn. Prodr. P.
venustum. Banks et Sol. MSS.
H ab . Northern and Middle Islands, Banks and Solander, etc.
A tall, smooth, tufted Grass, witb stout, leafy, simple culms, 1-2 feet high. Leaves flat, rather broad, often
wrinkled, and always rough at tbe margin. Spikes three to sis, 1-2 inches long, with a few long hafrs at thefr
insertion. Rachis broad, green. Spikelets in two rows, imbricating, quite smooth, nearly orbicular. An extremely
abundant Grass in the temperate and warmer regions of tbe globe, found at Port Jackson, but not in Tasmania.
It is one of the few pasture grasses about tbe Bay of Islands.
2. Paspalum distichum, Burm.; glaberrimum, culmis repentibus ramosis foUosis compressis, fobis
distichis iuvolutis, spicis 2 conjugatis sessibbus pedunculatisve, racbi angusta, spicubs biseriatis laxe
imbricatis ovatis acutis glabris.—Burm. Ind. P. vaginatum, Swartz, Fl. Ind. Occ. P. littorale, Br. Prodr.
Trin. Ic. 10. t. 112.
H a b . Northern Island; Bay of Islands, R. Ounningham, etc.; Auckland, Sinclair, etc.
A perfectly smooth, creeping, generally bttoral Grass, common in the tropics and warm regions of most parts
of tbe globe, and also found in Australia.—Culms branched, compressed. Leaves bifarious, involute. Spikes two
together, equal, 1 inch long. Rachis narrow. Spikelets loosely imbricated, ovate, acute, quite smooth.
Geu. VI. ISACHNE, Br.
Spicula 2-floræ; flore inferiore v. superiore? interdum Gluma 2, subæquales, concavæ,
obtusæ. Fl. $ . Palea 2, subæquales, concavæ, inferior superiorem 2-nervem amplectens. Squamula 2,
truncatæ. Fl. % .Palea'alYù. $ . Staminum màirneuia. intra paleas induratas Ubera.— Eolia
lata, plana ; vaginæ callo barbata. Spiculæ pedicellata, paniculata, pedicello continua.
Usually tropical Grasses, inhabiting wet places, distinguished from Paspalum by tbe equal florets, of which
the lower is male or hermaphrodite. Glumes nearly equal, as are tbe palea. Caryopsis included within the
hardened glumes. Leaves flat, tbe mouth of tbe sheath bearded. (Name from uros, equal, and a^yq, a glume)
1. Isacbne australis, Br. ; glabra v. scaberula, culmis foliosis ramosis decumbentibus, panicula ovata
V. lauceolata, ramulis inferioribus elongatis pedicellisque flexuosis.—Br. Prodr. p . 196.
H a b . Northern Island ; Bay of Islands, Cmmingham, etc. ; Auckland, Sinclair.
This is a common Australian Grass, and apparently tbe same as a species found in India and many tropical
countries. Culms 6-18 inches long, prostrate below, tbe branches cuiTing upwards. Leaves usuaUy scabrid, flat,
broad, 3-5 inches long, inch broad. Panicle 2 inches broad, of long, flexuous, sparingly divided branches, bearing
solitary, pediceUed, hard spikelets, 1 line long. Glumes and palea blunt.—As is tbe case witb OpHsmenus amulus,
the name I have given to this plant is most probably not tbe earliest it has received ; but the genus is involved
in great confusion, aud to settle this point would require a critical examiuation of many species.
Gen. VII. OPLISMENUS, Pal.
Spicula 2-floræ ; flore inferiore c? v. neutro, superiore ^ . Gluma 2, inæquales, sæpissime aristatæ.
Fl. c?. Palea 2 ; inferior aristata ; superior interdum 0. FL ^ . PaUa 2, subæquales ; inferior mucronata,
superiorem parinervem amplectens. Squamula 2, truncatæ. Caryopsis intra paleas libera.—Eolia plana.
Spiculæ spicata ; spicis racemosis paniculatisve ; raclü continua.