l i t i
392 ELOEA OE NEW ZEALAND. {Gramineæ.
Broad-leaved, generally tropieal Grasses, distingaished from Paspalum. by tie awned glumes and paleæ. (Name
trom orXurgaos, curved; alluding to the curved palea.)
1. Oplismeuus m m h s , K im tl; culmis gracilibus decumbentibus glabratis basi repentibus, va-
gmis noGsque pubesceutibus, spica (racemove) interrupta basi composita, spicuHs 2-3 confertis 4.-6-
loris bast barbatis, floribus bispidis seaberulisve, glumis ambabus aristatis, interioris arista brevissima, fl.
neutr. m ntica.-Nuufh, Agrost. p . 142. Ortliopogon, Br. Frodr. Panicum ungmnosnm, B a n h 'et Sol.
MiiS. et Ic.
H as. Northern Island; common in woods and shady places, B a n h and Solander, ete.
A slender, prostrate Grass, with sparingly branched, weak, ascending cnlms, 6-10 inches long. Sheath of the
leaves and knots of culms more or less downy; blade of leaf flat. 4-6 inches long, * broad. Raeeme of a few
distant hispid spikelets, which are clustered together, nearly sessüe, and surrounded with a brush of long hairs at
the base Glumes awned. the lower awn very short, upper * inch long, very stout and blunt for its size.-A
common Grass m some parts of Australia, and throughout the tropics of Asia, Africa, and America. I have retained
1. rown s name for it ot cumulus, though it has probably earher ones; an investigation of the question ot its
synonymy would however demand a critical examination of the genus, which is muoh involved.
Geu. ¥ i n . SPINIPEX, L.
Kores polygamo-dioici; spicvdis bifloris; masculis solitariis, ad basin racheos elongatæ aristæformis ;
a n d r ym s ^ rs distincta planta, spicatis. Glumæ 2, membranaceæ. Spiculæ androg. : -M o s inferior $ v.
eu er. a ea c, membranaceæ. Flos superior ^ . Palea 2, coriaceæ, inferior superiorem binervem
mp ectens. Squamulæ 2, carnosæ. Styli basi subcohærentes. Caryopsis intra paleas libera.—Gramina
ramosissvma, sutfrutescentia, in arenosis renentia. Spicæ mascGæ umhdlatim congestæ, in acumen pungens
A veiy remarkable aud conspicuous geuus of downy or süky Grasses, forming creeping, bushy tufts in sea-sand
much branched.-«pife» collected into globose bunches; male spikes solitary-, placed at the base of a long naked
subulate raehis ; hermaphrodite (androgynous) spikes usually on separate plants. SpikelMs two-flowered. Glnmcès
wo, membranous, nearly equal. Paleæ of tbe male spikes two, membranous; lower oblong, cbannelled ; npper with
two eihated kee s. Androgynous spikeleis spiked, two-flowered ; lower flower male or n'euter, with two (rarely one)
membranons paleæ; upper flower hermaphrodite, with two coriaceous oblong concave paleæ, the lower including
the upper which is two-nerved. Scales two. fleshy. CaryopsU enclosed between the paleæ, free. (Name from
spina, in allusion to the termination of the ñachis.)
1. Spmifex Hrscutus, Lab.; vaginis sericeo-tomentosis inferioribus interdum glabratis, foliis intus
ÿabns, raclii spicæ masculæ spicam superante.— PI. Nov. Holl. v. 2. p . 81. t. 230 231 S sericeus
Eaoul Bn. Plant, non Br. S. inermis, B a n h et Sol. MSS. Ixalum inerme, Porst. Prodr. f d . liaoul.
c 7 7 I " ™ Islands, Auckland, East Coast, etc., by the sea-coast, B a n h and
oolanaer, Ounmngham, etc.
knotted, stout, rooting culms, branched here and
as '» s . Z» « - »/««» smooth and shining;
1 inch I0Î1 11 t I ^ T or silky wool. Male spikes numerous, peduneled, silky,
: an involúcrate head, the rachis produced beyond the flowers. H e r m a p l r o d U e ( a l i d r o y-
Z r f 1 r “r ™ : r «f -Ikv spines. 4-S incto
long, that stick out lu aU directions: each of these is a peduncle or rachis, at whose bas’e ol the fertile o
androgynous flowers are to be found.-This is a common Tasmanian and South Australian plant
Graminées?] FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND.
Gen. IX. ARISTIDA, L.
293
Sgncula 1-floræ, flosculo pedicellato. Gluma 2, inæquales. Paiea 2 : inferior coriacea, tereti-involuta,
apice arista tripartita; superior minima. Stamina 3, ovarii basi adnatæ. Caryopsis intra paleas libera.
—Gramma sapius rigida ; foliis iuvolutis.
A very large genus of Grasses, chiefly inhabiting tropical and warm countries; several are Australian.— Culms
generally rigid and wiry ; leaves involute. Glumes two, unequal. Floret one, stipitate. Palea two, vei7 unequal ;
lower coriaceous, involute, narrow, with a rigid awn split to the base into three arms, of which the two lateral are
often patent ; upper palea very minute. Stamens three ; filaments adnate to the narrow base of the ovary. (Name
from arista, an awn.)
1. Aristida calycina, Br. ; glaberrima, culmis gracilibus rigidis simpUcibus, foliis breviusculis subulatis,
panicula angusta rara pauciflora, ramulis brevibus pedicellisque glabris, glumis subæqualibus flosculo
æquilongis mucronatis, aristis flore longioribus v. æquilongis.—Br. Prodr. p . 173.
H a b . Northern Island ; Bay of Islands, A. Cunningham.
The only specimens I have seen are indifferent ones in Cunningham’s Herbarium, now in Mr. Heward’s possession.
The plant is also a native of tropical Australia.— Culms rigid, wiry, quite smooth, a foot high. Leaves
subulate, wiry. Panicle 3 inches long, veiy slender, few-flowered, and sparingly branched ; pedicels very short and
smooth. Spikelets A- inch long. Glumes narrow, mucronate, as long as the lower palea, which is shorter than the
three spreading rigid arms of tbe awn.
Geu. X. DICHELACHNE, Endl.
Spicula 1-floræ; floris stipite brevi barbato. Gluma 2, membranaceæ, acumiuatæ, florem æquantes
V. superantes. Palea 2 : inferior scabra v. sericeo-pilosa, bifida, inter lobos aristata; arista simplici sub-
torta basi inarticulata; superior brevior, linearis, 2-dentata, inferiori conformis, tenerior. Stamina 2, sub-
falcatæ.—Eolia convoluta. Pauicula coarctata.
Rigid, wiry Grasses, with flat, subulate or convolute leaves, and narrow, rather dense panicles of shining
flowers ; natives of Australia, Norfolk Island, and New Zealand. Glumes two, membranous, sharp, as long as or
longer than the solitary flower, which has a short bearded stalk. Palea two : lower membranous or coriaceous,
scabrid or silky, bifid, with a twisted or straight awn from between tbe lobes, which is not jointed on to the palea :
upper shorter, linear, two-toothed at the tip. Scales curved, three according to Endlicher (Prodr. FI. Norf. Island),
two according to Trinius and Rnprecht (Act. Acad. Imp. Scient. Petrop. 1842), aud iu all the New Zealand species.
Seed very narrow. (Name from 8i)^]ko9, cloven-footed, and a-xyg, chaff; in allusion to the bifid palea.)
1. Dichelacline crinita, Elook. fil. ; glaberrima scaberula v. moRiter pubescens, foliis planis involutisve,
panicula elongata coarctata spiculis densissimis rarius lobata v. rariflora aristis flexuosis quasi crinita,
glumis angustis longe acuminatis florem breviter stipitatum excedentibus, palea inferiore scaberula acuminata
apice integra v. bifida, arista dorsali supra medium inserta longissima fiexuosa baud tortili, palea superiore
breviore apice bidentata.—D. vulgaris et Eorsteriana, Tnn. et Rupr. Act. Acad. Imp. Scient. Petrop. 1842.
Mulilcnbcrgia mollicoma, Nees in Herb. Hook. Agrostis crinita, Br. Prodr. Apera crinita, Pal. Beauv.
Agrost. Anthoxanthum crinitum, Linn. Forst. Prodr. Lab. FL Nov. Holl.v. 2. p . 115. t. 263. Agrostis
barbata. Banks et Sol. 3ISS. et Ic.
H a b . Northern Island, abundant, on dry clayey hills, etc.. Banks and Solander, etc.
A very abundant and variable Grass, quite smooth, or with the lower leaves and sheaths covered with soft
down. Culms annual, tufted, 1-3 feet high, stout or slender, leafy at the base, and sometimes up to the inflorescence.
Panicle 4-8 mches long, pale yellow-green, shining, contracted, dense and spike-like, rarely thin, with the
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