Gen. XIX. DANTHONIA, BC.
Spicula 3-8-florie; fioribus distichis, summo tabescente. Glumæ 2, subcarinatæ, muticæ, subæquales,
flores æquantes v. superantes. Palea %-, inferior barbata v. nuda, concava, multìnervis, apice late et profunde
bifida, inter lacinias muticas v. aristato-subulatas aristata ; arista basi coinplanata, torta, v. brevissima,
recta. Squamala 2, integræ, glabræ v. püosæ. Ovarium stipitatum. Caryopsis compressa, libera.
— Gramina cavilosa, plerumque rigida; M i s planis v. involutis; spiculis majusculis, pedicellatis, race-
GeneraUy harsh, tufted Grasses, growing in cUy soUs and dimates, as Australia, South Africa, and the South of
Europe. The Tasmanian species are extremely difficult of diseriinination, and I suspect that the first three should
be reduced to only one.—¿caws flat or involute. Panicles rather contracted, of few large, often shining spikelets.
Flowers two or more, the upper often imperfect. Glumes two, awnless, nearly equal, as long or longer thau the
flowers. Lower palm concave, many-nerved, bearded, bifid at the point, with a long or short flattened twisted
awn, Ommj smooth, stipitate. Seed compressed. (Named in honour of M. Banllioine, a French Botanist.)
§ 1. Lower palea furnished with several tufts of silky hairs on the sides.
1. Danthonia p ilo sa (Br. Prodr. 177); culmis foliis setaceis vaginisque plus minusve molliter
laxe patentim pilosis, panicula coarctata lanceolata, spiculis 6 -floris glumis brevioribus, palea inferiore basi
medioque barbata, fasciculis superioribus pilorura raris brevibus, aristis lateralibus elongatis palea longioribus
glumis inclusis exsertisve, intermedia torta flosculo bis-ter longiore.— 7M«. Sp. Gram. i. t. 51. Nob.
in Fl. N. Zeal. i. 303. D. Gunniana, Nees, Lond. Joum. Bot. ii. 417. {Gnnn, 585, 998.)
Hab. Abundant throughout the Island.— (Fl. Oct.-Jan.) {v. d.)
D is t r ib . New South Wales, Victoria, New Zealand.
A slender, tufted, rigid, wirj- Grass.—¿cows setaceous, and culms (a span to 2 feet high) more or less
covered with long scattered hairs. Pankle contracted, lanceolate or ovate, pale-green, l f - 3 inches long. Spikelets
erect, shining, with brown awns, six-flowered, 4 ineh long. Glumes longer thau the fiowers. Lowei-palea with a
tuft of silky hairs at the base, aud a few smaH tufts above the middle; lateral awns twice as long as the palea,
as long or longer than the glumes, half as long as the twisted middle awn.
2. Danthonia semi-annularis (Br. Prodr. 1 7 7 ); culmis vaginis foliisque glaberrimis, ore vaginæ
longe barbato, foliis involutis elongatis setaceisve, panicula contracta pauciflora subsimplici, glumis floribus
5 -6 multo longioribus, palea iuferiore basi medioque barbata, fasciculis superioribus pilorum aristis latera-
libus (palea æquilongis brevioribusve) æquilongis v. 4 brevioribus, arista intermedia torta glumis æqnilonga
v. paulo longiore.—i a i . Fl. N . Holl. i. p. 26. t. 33 ; Trin. Sp. Gram. v. /. 52 ; Nob. in Fl. N. Zeal. i. 303
{Giiiin, 1455, 1457.)
Hab. Abundant throughout the Island.— (Fl. Oct.-Jan.) {v. v.)
D istr ib. Extratropical Australia and New Zealand.
None of my specimens of this very common and variable Grass agree exactly ivith Mr. Brown’s description or
with Labillardière’s or Trinius’s figures ; nevertheless, after a very careful study of many forms and specimens from
Tasmania and New Zealand, and of Labülardière’s original ones, I am constrained to consider that neither plates
nor descriptions answer to the common Tasmanian state of the plants, which have a short simple raceme, and
awns generally louger than the glumes.— 6 -20 inches high, and leaves and sheaths quite smooth and
glabrous ; month of the latter with long silky hairs, Fanicle 2-4 inches long, narrow or effuse, eight- to fifteen-
flowered, sparingly branched. Glumes 4 inch long, white or purple, five- or six-flowered. Flowers much shortei'
thau the glumes, with an exserted, twisted middle awn (not so long, stout, aud dark as D..pilosa). Lowei- palea
Tfflous at the hase, and with a series of tnfts of hairs above the middle, whieh are goiieidly shorter ihan the lateral
awns : the latter do not exceed the glnines in length.—In New Zenland tills Grass is as common and more variable
than in Tasmania.
3. Danthonia seta cea (Br. Prodr. 177); glaberrima, culmis foliis setaceis vaginisque glaberrimis,
ore longe barbatis, panicula subsimplici, glumis (magnis) purpureis floribus 5 longioribus, palea inferiore
basi medioque barbata, fasciculis superioribus pilorum palea æquilongis, aristis lateralibus filiformibus
glumam æquantibus, intermedia torta longe exserta.—(G«««, 1454.)
H a b . Northern and central parts of the Island; common.— (Fl. Nov.)
D is t r ib . Victoria.
A stout, tufted species, very closely allied to D. semi-annularis, if not a mere variety of that plant, differing
in the longer glumes, J inch long, and longer black awns, of which the lateral arc as long as the glumes, and the
middle one one-third longer, and twisted.
4. Danthoma subulata (Hook, fil.) ; foliis brevibus filiformi-setaceis vaginisque patentim hispido-
pilosis demum glabratis, culmis gracillimis, panicula brevi erecta subsimplici pauciflora (pui-purea), glumis
sub-5-floris, palea inferiore basi medioque dense barbata pilis brevioribus, aristis lateralibus gracilibus palea
duplo longioribus ultra glumas exsertis, intermedia paulo longiore gracili subtorta.—«4« D. setacea, B r f
{Gunn, 1456.) (Ta b . CLXI. B.)
H a b . Georgetown and Launceston, Gnnn ; Richmond, Oldfield.
D is t r ib . Victoria.
A sinall, slender, densely tufted, very pretty and distinct species,—¿e¡zt?eí veiy slender, filiform, pilose, curved,
2-3 inches long. Culms a span to 15 inches long, very slender. Panicle 1-2 inches long, small, erect,'five- to seven-
flowered. Glumes purple, much longer than the five florets. Lower palea densely silky, with shorter hairs than in the
preceding species. Lateral awns slender, exserted, twice as long as the palea, not quite so loug as the intermediate
one.—P late CLXI. B. Fig. 1, spikelet; 2, flower; 3, pistil, squamulæ, and stamens -.— all magnified.
5. Danthoma pauciflora (Br. Prodr. 177) ; rigida, parvula, culmis cæspitosis foliisque brevibus
subulatis glaberrimis, racemo paucifioro, ramulis pubescenti-ciliatis, glumis subacutis flosculis 3 - 4 longioribus,
palea inferiore basi medioque barbata, serie superiore villorum paleam superantibus, aristis lateralibus
late subulatis paleam æquantibus, intermedia valida geniculata glumis inclusa. {Gunn, 1458.) (Ta b .
CLXIÍ. A.)
H a b . Top of Mount Welbngtou, Western Mountains, etc., Guvn, Archer.
D is t r ib . Alps of ATctoria.
A very pretty .and distinct little species.— Oifi»! tutted, rigid, liarsli, and wiiy, quite smooth and glabrous. 3
inches high. Leavee 1 inch long, setaceous, blunt at the point. Fenicie three- to six-dowered ; pedicels pilose
nnd ciliated. Glnmet short, puiple, A inch long, with rather blunt points. Ilomere three or fon), short, lower
f e U e very viboiis, with tufts ot long haii-s above the middle i lateral awns broad, as long as the palea ; middle one
bent, very stont, short, included in the gl,imes.-l>LATE CLXIL A. Kg. 1. spikelet; 2, flower; 3. pistil, stamen,
and squamulæ -.—all magnified.
\ 2. Ampiiibromus. —Loicei-palea haii-y or silky, but without tufts o f hairs.
6 . Danthonia nervosa (Hook, fil.) ; scaberula v. glabra, spiculis racemosis, glumis obtusiusculis
erosis iiiæqualibus inferiore basi 3-nervi superiore 5-nervi, flosculis basi villosis, palea inferiore scaberula
coriacea 7-ncrvi bifida apicibus erosis dorso supra medium arista tortili elongata, superiore bidentata.—
Avena? nervosa, Br. Prodr. 178. A. hydropliila, F. Muell. MSS. Amphibromus nervosus, Nees, in
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