" t “
i l i "i
308 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [Graviineoe.
Hie fom of the spikelets and florets, of which there are iisuaUy only two. but difl’ers in the glumes being shorter
than the florets, in the long pedicel of the second flower, and in the truncate jagged lower palea. It differs from Poa
m the latter eharaeter and iu the fewer florets.-GZimra unequal, shorter than the florets. Eforefe two (rarely three
or fonij, both hermaphrodite; lower sessüe, upper with a long, slender stGk; the latter is sometimes continued as
le pedicel of a third floret, which is rarely produced. Lower palea concave, broad, with a broad truncate jagged
top ; upper two-nerved. Statnens tlu-ee. (Name from KaraRpmaiv, in allusion to the erose tops of tbe glumes.)
1. Catabrosa Aniaretica, Hook, fil.; glaberrima, culmis laxe cæspitosis gracilibus ramosis foliosis, foliis
filiformibus involutis culmis longioribus, vagiGs sulcatis, Hgula elongata membranacea, panicula subcoiitracta
k xa pauciflora ramis capillaribus 1-2-floris, spicGis parvis 2-floris nitidis pedicello flosculi tertii accedente,
gluDiis inæqualibus subacutis, palea inferiore subenervi basi parce barbata.—D7. Antarct. p . 102. t. 66.
Hab. Northern Island : summit of the Ruahine range, r '
A very delicate, slender Grass, a span to a foot liigh, first found on the mountains of Campbell’s Island.—C'««s
very slender, leafy-, branched below. SleatU deeply furrowed. Lìgula long, slender, membranous ; leaf longer than
the eGm. hliform. Pamele very slender, erect, contracted, few-flowered. 1-2 inches long, sparingly branehed ■
branches capfllary, one- or two-flowered. SpiheleU small, * inch long, flat, white and glistening. Glumee acute
nneqnal. morete two. eaeh with a smaU tGt of loose hairs at the base; upper with a pedicel as long as itself!
^ b l i ': : ^ " ' “ tociiTe. membranous, with a broad jagged top ; nerves obscure. AutUr» short and broad. Sguamulæ
Gen. XXV. FESTUCA, L.
^ Spieuloe^ bi-mGti-floræ. Glvmæ 2 (raro in § VGpia I) , carinatæ, inæquGes, muticæ. Paleæ 2 ;
inferior ecannata, apice acuta v. aristata; superior bicarinata. Squamulæ 2, acute bifidæ. Stamina 1 - 8.
Caryopsis glabra, libéra, v. paleæ superiori adhærens.—Folia plana v. setacea; spiculæ plerumque pedi-
cellaiæ, paniculatæ v. racemosa; raclGla articúlala.
A large genns of Grasses, almost confined to temperate and cold regions, forming extensive pastnre-lands in
the Alps of Europe and elsewheie.-Zac«» flat or subGate. Spikelets peGcelled, panicled or racemose, rarefy
spiked; florets often numerous, on a jointed partial raehis. Glumes two (sometimes one in § Vulpià), keeled
Palea, two; lower keeled, quite entire at the tip, acute, often with a terminal awn. Scales two, bifid, smooth.
Stamens one to three. Styles terminal. Caryopsis free or adhering to the upper palea.—I know of no character but
the acummate and often awned palea to separate this genus from Poa. The entire tip of the lower palea distili-
gmshes it from Scliedonorus. (Name, a Latin one of uncertain derivation.)
1. Festuca scopana, Hook, fil.; glaberrima, rigida, culmo fohoso, fohis setaceo-involutis elongatis
subfihformibus ligGa brevissima, panicGa contracta v. effusa, spicuhs majnscuhs latiuscGis 4 -7 -floris,
glumis subæquGibus floscGis brevioribus, palea irferiore scaberula acuminata basi longe barbata — Ft
Antarct. p . 98.
Ha b . Middle Island : Port Wilham, LyaU.
A littoral Grass, originaUy found in Lord Auckland and Campbell’s Islands.-Perfectfy smooth, polished, rigid,
densely tufted. Culms 1-3 feet high. Leaves involute, filiform or setaceous, as long as or shorter than the culm
L^uU very imperfect. PanicU 1-6 inches long, contracted or effuse. SpikeUts few. four- to seven-flowered 3-4
mes long. Karris spreading. acuminate, shorter than the florets. Zoaier palea acuminate, scabrid
bearded at tbe base.-This plant approaches very near smaU states of Scledonorus littoralis, but I find no trace of
toothing at the top of the lower palea.
2, Ï e s t u c a Hook, fil.; glaberrima, culmis cæspitosis compressis foliosis (in exempl. Nov.
Zeland.) brevibus, fohis subdistichis planis v. subinvolutis cGmo brevioribus longioribusve, hgula mem
branacea trianguluri, panicGa nutante effusa mGtiflora, glumis 4-6-floris acumGatis floscGis approximatis
Gramineæ?] FLORA OF NEW ZEilLAND. 309
brevioribus, palea inferiore 5-nervi acuminata subsericea v. glaberrima basi barbata.—Flora Antarct.
p . 99. t, 55.
H a b . Middle Island : Port William, Lyall.
Also a littoral Grass, found first in Lord Auckland and Campbell’s Islands, where it gi-ows to a gi-eat size and
3 feet high. Milford Sound specimens are only a span long, quite glabrous.— Culms short, tufted, leafy at the base.
Leaves coriaceous (not rigid), plane or keeled and compressed; shorter than the culm (in New Zealand specimens).
Ligula conical, membranous. Faniele inclined, effuse, many-flowered. Spikelets 2g-3 lines long, fom-- to six-
flowered. Glumes smootli, acummate. Lower palea acuminate, five-nerved, quite glabrous or silky, bearded at the
base.
3. Festuca duriuscula, L. ; stricta, erecta, glaberrima, culmis cæspitosis basi foliosis, foliis setaceo-
involutis strictis erectis v. patulis, panicula elongata coarctata, ramis brevibus elongatisve paucifloris,
glumis 6- 8-floris inæqualibus acutis flosculis brevioribus, flosculis linearibus remotis scabridis, palea
inferiore basi nuda acuminata aristata.—Linn. Sp. F l. Engl. Bot. t. ’470.
H ab . Northern and Midclle Islands, in mountainous districts : East Coast, Cape Turnagain, etc.,
Colenso ; Aglionby Plains, etc., Monro. (A most abundant British Grass.)
A widely distributed Grass, found in Tasmania and Fuegia, and in almost all temperate and cold climates. It
forms a great proportion of the alpine pasture grass in the moorlands of the Britisli Islands, and is extremely
variable in stature and habit.—Quite smooth, generally shining. Culms densely tufted, leafy chiefly at the base,
1-3 feet high, strict, slender. Leaves setaceous, often long and filiform, sometimes short and rigid. Faniele an
inch to a span long, erect, naiTOw, contracted or spreading, few-flowered ; branches erect, long or short, slender.
Glumes acuminate or acute, shorter than the florets, four- to eight-flowered. Florets narrow, remote, glabrous.
Lower palea acuminate, awned, generally scabrid.
4. Festuca (Vulpia) hromoides, L .; annua, glaberrima, culmis plurimis dense cæspitosis foliosis, foliis
filiformibus involutis, vaginis elongatis, ligula membranacea, panicula contracta unilaterali racemosa ramis
brevibus erectis, spiculis sessilibus 8- 10-floris lævibus seaberulisve, glumis unilateralibus valde inæqualibus
subulato-acuminatis, flosculis approximatis anguste lanceolatis, palea inferiore longe aristata, arista scaberula.—
Linn. Sp. Fl. Engl. Bot. t. 1411. F. plebeia. Dr. Protf?-.
Y^ar. /3. tenella; culmis breribus capillaribus 1-3-floris.
PIab. Bay of Islands, Auckland, and Great Barrière Islands, abundant, Sinclair, etc. Var. Bay
of Islands, frequent. (A native of Eugland.)
A very common Grass, native of Europe and (generally naturabzed) of other parts of the world. It has possibly
been introduced into New Zealand, as I do not find it in any of the older collections, and, except Dr. Sinclafr’s
Great Barrière Island specimens, all arc from the vicinity of settlements. It was found in Tasmania by Mr. Brown,
and is common in that island.—An annual Grass, very variable in size, from 2 inches to 2 feet, always perfectly
smooth. Culms densely tufted, simple, more or less leafy upwards, slender (in var. /3 as slender as a thread).
Leaves narrow, involute, filiform ; sheaths long. Faniele generally 1-3 inches long, erect, contracted, rather dense,
sometimes reduced iu var. /3 to one spikelet. Branches short, erect, appressed. Spikelets rather crowded, shortly
pedicelled, three- to ten-flowered, p inch long with the awns. Glumes narrow, subulate, the upper much the
largest, strongly nerved, placed at one side of the base of the spikelet. Florets close together on a slender racliis.
Lower palea scabrous or smooth, concave, narrow, lanceolate, tapering into a long scabrid hair-like awn.
Gen. XXVI. SCHEDONORUS, Fal.
Omnia Festucce, sed palea inferiore mutica, sub apice breviter emarginato-dentata.
This genus only differs from Festuca in having the shai-p lower palea notched at each side near the top, or
obscurely tliree-tootlied—a very obscure character in S. littoralis, and sometimes wanting; the southern species are
4 H
: ’I ' ■
" I "
li