s; abundant.—(Fl.Hab. Dry grassy pi; Oct.-Jan.) (v.v.)
D is t r ib . Victoria.
Very sjmüar to A . parviflora in slender habit, size, and general appearance, but conspicuously differing in the
very much larger panicle, with more numerous, wJiorled, very slender, long branches, large spikelets, and the long
awn inserted below the middle of the palea. which is usually rough. Also very near the European A . vulgaris, but
the branches of the panicle are much longer; and to A . Lgallii of New Zealand, which has longer glumes and a
silky palea.—P l a t e CLIX. A. Fig. 1, spikelet ; 2, flower ; 3, pistil, stamens, and squamulæ -.— all magnified.
§ 2 . Mower shortly pedicelled, with no rudiment or pedicel o f a second. Upper palea present ; lower
with a fascicle o f hairs at its base, and hi- to quadri-fid apex.
8 . A g r o s tis q uad riseta (Br. Prodr. 171) ; cæspitosa, caimis vaginisque iævibus scaberuiisve, foiiis
pianis iuvoiutis v. setaceis, panicula coarctata cjlindracea continua v. lobata rarius interrupta v. subeffusa,
glumis acuminatis flore basi scriceo longioribus, palea inferiere lævi v. scaberula nervis 4 apice percurrentibus
breviter 4.cuspidata, arisla dorsali infra medium v. basin versus inserta inclusa v. glumis i lougiora, superiore
paulo breviore bidentata.—Í « « , A . 218. I h , . D m . 2 0 4./,. iii. t. 33. Agrostis diapbora, THn.
Agrost. ii. 120. Avena quadriseta, Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. i.p . 25. t. 32. Eromidium, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur.
xvii. Suppl. ii. 154. B. qnadriselum, Nees, in Hook. Lonil. Journ. Bot. ii. 416,
Vat. a. lobata: elata, foliis latiuscuKs plauis, panicula majuscula lobata, palea interiore glabra.—
A. lobata, Br. Prodr. 171. Bromidium lobatum, Nees, I.e. 415. [Gunn, 990.)
Var. A montana: cæspitosa, foliis involuto-setaceis latisve brevibus, panicula snbcjlindtacea lobata
V. interrupts, palea inferiore scaberula marginibus pubescentibus. {Gunn, 991.)
Var. 7 . paniculata ; elata, foliis latis brevibus, panicula pyramidali, ramis inferioribus subverticillatis
remotis patentibus reflexisve. {Ounn, 991.)
Hab. Abundant throughout the Island.— (Fl. Sept.-Dee.) (r. v.)
D i s t e ib . Extratropical Australia, New Zealand.
An extremely vanable and very common Grass, presenting no constant characters by which the above-defined
varieties may be always known from one another.— a span to 34 feet high, smooth or rough, as are the
leaves and sheaths. Leaves broad or narrow, short or long, smooth or scabrid. Panicle densely spicate, cylindrical
and continnous, or lobed, or more open and pyramidal, with the lower branches remote and spreading. “Glumes
4 -4 inch long, always longer than the flower, but very variable in this particular. Mower on a short, vülous
pedicel.^ Lower palea scaberulous, rarely quite smooth, hard, concave, contracted at the point, and then bifid or
ending in four little awns, which are very variable in relative length ; gi'eat awn dorsal, inserted below the middle
or towards the base, bent, twisted below ; upper palea shorter, with two nerves that are scabrous at the back above,
with sometimes a minute rigid pedicel at its base. Stamens three.—I have examined a vast number of Australian,
New Zealand, and Tasmanian specimens of this most variable Grass, vainly trying to divide them into species or
constant varieties. Brown’s specimens of Agrostis montana (in Brit. Mus.) resemble this, hut have a slender panicle ;
florets as long as the glumes ; palea rough, awned near the base.
§ 3 . D e y e u x i a .— sessiU or shortly pedicelled, furnished at the base o f the uppa-palea with the {usually
plumose) pedicel o f a second flower, which is sometimes, but very rarely, perfect.
4. A g r o s tis æquata (Nees, in Hook. Lond. .Tourn. Bot. ii. 4 1 3 ); scaberula, culmis subelatis
cæspitosis erectis foliosis, foliis planis lígula membranácea, panicula elongata effusa, ramis primariis plurimis
verticillatis capillaribus pedicellisque seabris, glumis ovatis subacutis seabris flore paulo longioribus, paleis
firmis nervis inconspicuis inferiore truncata mutica superiore subbidentata basi extus pedicello gracili —
{Gunn, 1005.) (T a b . CLIX. B.)
H a b . Probably common, but no habitat given, Gmin.— {Y\. Jan.)
A tufted, iaudsome Grass, 2^3 feet Mgh, eveQwhere sligktly rough to the touch, similar in man, respects to
A .,a rv ,M a .~C u ln x erect, leaf,. Loavos flat, rather narrow, with a membranous Hgula. Pa.klo large 8 -10
mches long, spreading, ver, manj-fowered. Frimar, bra.ol,,, nnmerous, whoried, capiU.arv, as well as the secondar,
and long ped.eels of the smdi spikelets scabrid. Glume, equal, ovate, acute, hardl, louger than the flower,
ver, seahnd, especially along the keel. Pafeæ rather coriaeeons, ,rith obscure nerves, awnless. lower Imne.te-
upper nearly as long, with two smaH teoth at the tip, and sometim.s a small tuft of hairs at the base.-PlATE
G l.lX .A lig . 1, spikelet; 2, flower; 3, pistil, squamulæ, and stamens ; 4. caryopsis ;_ » « asoy.jiej,
5. A g ro n tin B ii l a r d i e r i (Br. Prodr. 171) ; scaberula, foliis latiusoulis, pamenla laxa, ramis primaris
Cito trichotomis, spiculis majusonUs, glnmis scaberulis glabrisve flore J longioribus, carina scaberula palea
iiifenore basi sericea 4-uervi, nervis percurrentibus lateralibus aristatis, arista ad medium paleæ inserta
gumis i ad bis longiore, palea snperiore inferiore æqnilonga lanceolata cuspidata setula i longiore-
Deyeuxia Billardieri, Funi/., Agrost. p. 244. Laebnagrostis Billardieri, Trin. Hiss, in In io r Avena
filiformis, Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. i. p . 24. t. 81, « 0» Porsi. [Gunn, 592, 1007.)
Var. )9. seti/olm ; foins anguste setaceis, arista prope basin paleæ inserta.
H.1B. Abundant tbronghont the Island.—(PI. Oct.-Jan.) (v. v.)
D i s t e ib . New South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand.
A very elegant Grass, closely alHed to the two tolloiving, if indeed all three be not varieties of the same spec
. e s , - a , i „ tnfted, I j foot high, loavos 6 inches long, * -} inch broad, flat, smoolb or rough to the touch
Mmolo ver, lax, se.abnd; bra.olx, very slender, whoried, trielotomous ; peiicols long, slender. SpHoUts larrer
ban ,n the alhed speeies, X-X i„eh long, often pui-ple. Glum., narrow, smooth or scabrid, always scabrid at the
keel. Lower p ^ a silk, at the base, * as long as the glume, with fom; nerves that project at the truncate top. the
lateral of wh.eh arc produced into short awns. A „ . inserted at the middle of the palea, bent, one-half or tmce
asjong as the glumes. Upper palm as long as the lower, with two short points, longer than the silky pedicel at its
6 . A g ro s tin æm u la (Br. Prodr. 172); glaberrima v. seaberrima, foliis latinseulis augustisve, paniculæ
laxæ ramis pnmariis elongatis capillaribns trichotomis, glnmis (pallidis) glabris carina scaberula flore
duplo longioribus, paloa inferiore sericea brevi late truncata nervis 4 percnrrenlibus breviter 4-cnspidata
arista dorso ad medium paleæ insert, glumis duplo longiore, nervis lateralibus rarius elongatis, palea
superioretouferioro breviore obtusa v. bidentata setula plerumque brevissima— Agrostis Porsteri, Ban,., ot
So/,nit. Syst. 11. 359. ? A. semibarbata, Trin. Agrost. ii. 132. A. relrofraeta, Sclrad. in Herb. Hoo/s
De,eux,a Porsteri, Kunt/., Gram. 177 ; Agrost. p. 244 ; Nob. in PI. N. Zeal. i. 298. A pilosa A R id .
Voy. Adrol. 134. t. 23 (setula omissal). Avena fliiformis, Psmst. Proir. 46. Laclinagrostis Porsteri
iV.n.D.ss. Oram. Unifier. 217. L. æmnla, Noes, in Hoot. Loni. Joum. Bot. ii. 412. Deyenxia æmnla’
Kxi-nth, Gram. i. 77. {Gunn, 592, in part, 1006, 1447.)
IIab. Abundant throughout the Island.— (Fl. Oct.-Jan.) {v. v.)
D is t r ib . Extratropica! Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island.
Generali, a taller plant thau R Silhrdkri, will, man, more, much smaller, pale-green spikelets, aud more
Silky flowers— Ori,,» 1-3 feet lugh. leaves flat, broad or narrow, quite smooth or scabrous. Paniele 4-8
mehes loug, of very m,melons whoried, slender branches, that geneiaH, do not divide so soon as ia the former
speeies. Podleol. very slender. SplMots x _ t inch long. Glumes smooth, except along the keel, twice as lonv as
the flower, and half .as long .as the awn. Low,, palea very silky all over, truncate, the teeth produced into short
points. Awn mscrted at the middle. Upper palea shorter, blunt or two-toothed. Setula generally vera sniaH —
This plant ,s the Ave,a, filiformis of Poister, in Herb. Hook., and also of L.abiUntdière, in Herb. Hook Mr Brown