unequal, persistent. lower iim k r flowers of one awned palea, the lower shortest. U w e r palea of fertile flower
acuminate, not awned.
2. T)i]>hs.pol)/mda, Hook, fil.; glaberrima, culmis gracilibus elongatis nodosis ramosis, foliis angustis,
racemis simplicibus paucifloris, spiculis inferioribus breve pedicellatis, paleis fl. n eu tr. breviter aristatis,
inferiore paulo breviore, fl. hermaplir. palea inferiore acuta v. mucronata, staminibus 4.
H ab. N o rth e rn Is lau d ; E a s t Coast, base of Eu ab in e range, etc., Colenso.
A very different-looking Grass fi-om B . avenacea, qnite smooth. Culms slender, 8 -4 feet long, knotted, aud
branching at the knots. Leaves nan-ow, 4 -8 inches long. Raceme slender, simple, few-flowered, Spikelets sessile,
the lower on short pedicels. Paleæ of the neuter flowers with short awns. Stamens four.
Gen. IV . A LO PE CÜ EU S , L .
Glumæ 2, naviculares, subæquales, basi connatæ, 1-floræ. Paleæ 1 - 2 , marginibus connatis v. libei-is;
inferior carinata, dorso sæpius a ris ta ta ; superior brevior, 1-nervis, v. 0. Squamulæ 0. Stamina 8. Cary-
opsis^ elliptica, compressa, in te r glumas in d u ra tas paleasque Hbera.— Culmi sæpius simplices. Eolia p la n a .
Paniculæ confertæ, spicæformes, cylindraceæ, densijloræ.
A genns almost whoUy confined to the temperate and frigid regions of the Northern hemisphere ; one species
IS common to the Arctic and Antarctic regions (Fuegia), and the New Zealaud one is fonnd both in Tasmania and
in Europe. Culms generaUy simple, with flat leaves. Panicles contracted into dense, pale, cjHndrical spikes.
Spikelets one-flowered. Glumes laterally flattened, boat-shaped, keeled, joined together below. Faleæ one or two, free
or connate ; lower keeled, often awned at the back ; upper when present smaUer, one-nerved. Stamens three. Caryopsis
compressed, free, mcluded in the hardened glumes and paleæ, (Name from dkanrqt, a fo x , and ovpos, a tail.)
1. Alopecurus geniculatus, L . ; culmis cæspitosis basi geniculatis, panicula co ntracta cyHndracea,
glunus pubescentibus, palea dorso infra medium aristata.— B o t. t. 12 5 0 . A. austraUs, Nees in
M iic k e lts Australia.
H a b . No rth e rn and Middle Islau d s ; marshy places. E a st Coast, Colenso. Canterbury, l y a l l . (A
native of England.)
The Foxtail Grass of England.— Cafm* and leaves quite smooth ; the former IA-2A feet high, ascending, bent
below. Fanicle contracted into a soft, downy, cylindrical, green spike. l x - 2 i inches long. Spikelets imbricated
on a woolly rachis. Glumes downy and fringed. Pa ka with an awn of variable length inserted at or below the
middlej sometimes at the base.
Geu. V, PAS PA LUM , L .
Spnculæ 2-iovæ, cum pedicello a rtic u la te ; flore inferiore neutro, superiore bermaphrodito. Gluma \ ,
ranssime 2, in fen o r minuta, superior (antica) florem n eu trum æquaus. Pl. neutr. Balea mutica, membranácea.
Pl. hermaph. Paleæ 2, coriaceæ, muticæ, inferior concava superiorem 2-nervem amplectens.
Squamulæ 2, carnosæ, breves. Ovarium sessile. Caryopsis oblonga, in tra paleas indura tas libera.— Culmi
sæpius ramosi. Spiculæ in rachem continuam sp ka tæ, unilaterales.
A very extensive tropical genus, rare in the temperate regions of both the N orth and South hemispheres. Many
of the species have very wide ranges.— Cbímí simple or branched. Spikelets small, two-flowered, jointed on short
stalks, arranged along one side of a continuons often flattened rachis. Glumes 1 -2. lower minute, upper as long as
the neuter flower. Lower flower neuter, with one membranous palea ; upper hermaphrodite, wltli two coriaceous,
blunt pnlem, of which the lower surrounds the two-nerved upper, Seaks two, fleshy, Camjopsis included iu the
hardened paleæ. (Name from ■nae-waXkoc, a Greek name for Milkt.)
1. Paspalum scrobiculatum, Lin n . ; glabrum, foliis planis ma rginibus scaberulis, spicis 3 - 6 alternis
basi sæpius setigeris, rachi la ta, spicuHs 2-seriatis imbricatis, floscuHs glabris ovato-orbiculatis, glumis
3-nerviis.— L iu n . M a n t. P . orbiculare, Forst. Frodr. B r . Prodr. A. R ich . Flor. A. Cunn. Prodr. P .
venustum, Banlcs et Sol. M S S .
H ab. N o rth e rn an d Middle Islan d s, B a n k s a n d Solander, ete.
A tall, smooth, tufted Grass, with stout, leafy, simple culms. 1 -2 feet high. Leaves flat, rather broad, often
wrinkled, and always rough at the margin. Spikes three to six, 1 -2 inches long, ivith a few long haii-s at their
insertion. Rachis broad, green. Spikekts in two rows, imbricatmg, quite smooth, nearly orbicular.—An extremely
abundant Grass in the temperate and warmer regions of the globe, found at Port Jackson, but not in Tasmania.
I t is one of the few pasture grasses about the Bay of Islands.
2. Paspalum distichum, B u rm .; glaberrimum, culmis repentibus ramosis foliosis compressis, foHis
distichis involutis, spicis 2 conjugatis sessilibus pedunculatisve, rachi angusta , spiculis bisen a tis laxe
imbricatis ovatis acutis glabris.— B u rm . In d . P . vaginatum, Swartz, F l. In d . Occ. P . littora le, B r . Prodr.
Trin. Ic. 1 0 . t. 112.
H ab. N o rth e rn Is la n d ; Bay of Islan d s, R . Cunningham, e tc .; Auckland, Sinclair, ete.
A perfectly smooth, creeping, generally littoral Grass, common in the tropics and warm regions of most parts
of the globe, and also found in Australia.— CafiBS branched, compressed. Leaves bifarious, involute. Spikes two
together, equal, 1 inch long. Rachis narrow. Spikekts loosely imbricated, ovate, acute, quite smooth,
Gen. V I . ISA C H N E , B r .
Spiculæ 2-floræ; flore interiore g u. $ , su p e rio re ? intei-dum J . Glumæ 2, subæquales, concavæ,
obtusæ. F l . g . Paleæ 2, subæquales, concavæ, inferior superiorem 2-neivem amplectens. Squamulæ 2,
ti-uncatæ. P l. % .P a leæ vA \ \ î g . rudimenta. Chryoyiiis in tra paleas in d u ra tas libera.— Folia
lata, p la n a ; vaginæ callo harbatoe. Spiculæ pedieellatæ, paniculatæ, pedicello continuæ.
Usually tropical Grasses, inbabitmg wet places, distinguished from Paspalum by the equal florets, of which
the lower is male or hermaphrodite. Glumes nearly equal, as are the pakæ. Caryopsis included within the
hardened glumes. Leaves flat, the mouth of the sheath bearded. (Name trom nros, equal, aud cvyyq, a glumei)
1. Isach n e australis, Br. ; glabra v. scaberula, culmis foliosis ramosis decumbentibus, panicula ovata
v. lanceolata, ramuhs inferioribus elongatis pedicellisque flexuosis.— B r . Prodr. p . 196.
H ab. N o rth e rn Is la n d ; Bay of Islau d s, Cunningham, e te .; Aucklaud, Sinclair.
This is a common Australian Grass, and apparently the same as a species found in India and many tropical
countries. Culms 6-18 inches long, prostrate below, the brauches curving upw-ards. Leaves usually scabrid. flat,
broad, 3-6 Indies long, a inch broad. Panicle 2 inches broad, of long, flexuous, sparingly divided branches, bearing
solitary, pedicelled. hard spikelets, 1 line long. Glumes and p a kæ blunt,—As is the case with Oplismenus æmulus,
the name I have given to this plant is most probably uot the earliest it has received ; but the genus is involved
in great confusion, and to settle this point would require a critical examination of many species.
Geu. V I I . O PL ISM EN U S , P a l.
Spiculæ 2-floræ ; flore inferiore g v. neutro, supcriore g . Glumæ 2, inæquales, sæpissime aristatæ.
Fl. g . Paleæ 2 ; inferior ai'istata; superior iiiterdum 0. F l . g . P a kæ 2, subæqmdes; inferior mucronata,
superiorem pariiicrvem amplectens. Squamulæ 2, tru n c a te . Caryopsis in tra paleas Hbera.— F o lia p la n a .
Spiculæ spicatoe ; spicis racemosis paniculatisve ; raclü continua.