Hook. Lond.. Joum. Bot. ii. 4 2 0 . A. Neesii, Steud. Syn. Glum. 3 2 8 . A. junceus, Nees, in Herb. Lindl.
{Gunn, 1 4 9 3 , 9 9 5 .) (T a b . C LXIII. A.)
H a b . Wet places ; Formosa, Gunn.
D is t r ib . New South Wales, Victoria, and Swan River.
A tall, slender, smooth- or slightly rough-leaved Grass.— Culms slender, 2-3 feet high, leafy. Leaves long
and slender, flat ; ligula very long, sharp, and membranous. Panicle, or rather raceme, inclined or nodding, a span
long and upwards, with few slender, distant, one- or two-flowered branches, which, as well as the pedicels, are
rough with short haii's. Spikelets pale-green, nearly 4 inch long. Florets pedicelled, about five, terete, much
longer than the glumes; pedicels with hairy tips. Glumes unequal, pale and transparent, blunt, erose; lower
smaller, three-nerved at the base ; upper five-nerved. Lower palea with a tuft of hairs at the base, opaque, bard,
scabrous, seven-nerved, bifid at the top, the segments erose. Awn arising from above the middle, bent, twisted,
black, rigid, stout, three or four times as long as the palea. Upper palea narrow, with two shaqi ti])s, and ciliated
keels.—P la t e CLXIII. «4. Fig. 1, spikelet; 2, flower; 3, stamens, squamulæ, and pistil; 4, caryopsis:'—all
magnified.
7. Danthonia A r ch e r i (Hook, fil.); panicula nutante, glumis 2-4-floris coloratis apice acutis
erosis, floribus basi villosis, palea inferiore scaberula laciniis brevibus subiutegris mutieis v. aristatis.
{Gunn, 9 9 5 .) (T a b . CLXXII. B )
H a b . Northern parts of the Island, Gunn ; Cheshunt, Archer.— (FI. Dec.)
Panicle broader than in A. nervosus, more erect ; lower branches whoried. Glumes fewer-flowered. Lower
palea more glabrous with its divisions sometimes terminating in straight, black, subulate points or awus.—P la te
CLXXII. B. Fig. 1, spikelet; 2, flower; 3, stamens, squamulæ, and pistil; 4, caryopsis :—all magnified.
Gen. XXI. GLYCERIA, Br.
Spicula multifloræ; fioribus distichis, imbricatis, hermaphroditis. Gluma 2, concavæ, obtusæ; inferior
brevior. Balea 2, subæquilongæ ; inferior ovato-elliptica, obtusa v. obtuse 3-loba, 7-nervis. Squamula
solitaria v. 2 plus minusve inter se connate. Stamina 2 -8 . Caryopsis oh\o'ag&, libera.— Gramina aquatica,
repeniia; foiiis planis ; ^anicaiæ simplices v. ramosa; v&Tnisfasciinilatis,suhverticillatis.
A small genus of aquatic Grasses, whose seeds have been used as bread-corn in time of famine, and called
Manna.—Leaves flat. Oulms creeping below. Panicle long, simple, and racemose, or more branched with whoried
branches. Glumes concave, blunt, many-flowered. Flowers numerous, imbricated on a flexuous rachis, all hermaphrodite.
Lower palea elliptical, oval, blunt, or with three blunt teeth and seven nerves ; upper rather shorter-
Stamens two or three. Seed free. (Name from yXvuepoi, sweet ; in allusion to the eatable grains.)
1. Glycer ia fluitans (Br. Prodr. 17 9 ); scaberula v. glabrata, panicula suberecta elongata rara,
ramulis paucifloris, glumis inæqualibus 1-nerviis, floribus 5 -7 rhachi flexuosa remotis, palea inferiore mutica
7-nervi scaberula subacuta.—Festuca fluitans, Linn. Sp. PI. iii. Poa fluitans, Engl. Bot. i. 1520.
{Gunn, 994.)
H a b . Wet places; common.— (Fl. Nov.) (v .v ) (Native of Britain.)
D is t r ib . Australia, India, Europe, Northern Asia, North Africa, Northern and tropical America.
A taU Grass, 2-4 feet high, with slender, smooth or scabrid culms.—Leaves flat, with a membranous ligula.
Panicle a span to a foot long, suberect or nodding, with few, slender, distant, sessile or pedicelled spikelets, that
are five- to seven-flowered, and each inch long, Glumes unequal, blunt, one-nerved. Florets distant, on a
flexuous rachis. Lower palea blunt, seven-nerved, scabrous. Squamula solitary, fleshy. Sligmas very much
divided.
•Ì|iÌL_
2. G ly cer ia str ic ta (Nob. in Fl. N. Zeal. i. 304) ; glaberrima, culmis cæspitosis strictis foliosis,
foliis brevibus strictis involutis, panicula stricta erecta contracta, ramis pedicellisque brevibus strictis,
glumis inæqualibus acutis superiore 3 -nervi, flosculis 6—1 4 confertis, palea inferiore glaberrima acuta
coriácea, nervis inconspicuis, squamula oblonga.— Poa Syrtica, Muell. MSS. {Gunn, 1463.) (Tab.
CLXIL B.)
H ab. Marsh at Launceston, Gunn.— (Fl. Nov.)
D ist r ib . Victoria, New Zealand.
A very different-looking species from G. fluitans, of a pale-yellow colour.— 14-2 feet liigh, strict, stout,
leafy throughout, perfectly glabrous everywhere. Sheaths of leaves long, striate, rather swollen ; ligula short, broad,
membranous. Lamina short, 2-4 inches, subulate, strict, erect, involute. Panicle 4-6 inches long, very slender,
strict, with shoit, stout, erect, appressed branches. Spikelets terete, rather crowded, pale-yellow, almost shining, 4
inch long. Flowers six or seven to fourteen, closely imbricated. Glumes unequal, shiup ; upper three-nerved.
Palea quite glabrous, coriaceous ; lower sharp, with obscure nerves. Squamula ovate.—Tasmanian specimens are
much larger than the New Zealand ones, but not otherwise different.—P la t e CLXII. B. Fig, 1, spikelet ; 2, flower ;
3, squamulæ, pistü, and stamens ; 4, caryopsis :—al
Gen. XX II. POA, L.
Spicula 2-8-floræ; floribus distichis, hermaphroditis, nunc basi lanatis, interdum abortu dioicis*
Gluma 2, muticæ, subæquales. Palea 2, muticæ; inferior obtusiuscula carinata v. concava; superior bicarinata.
Squamula 2. Stamina 2 -3 . Caryopsis libera, v. paleæ superiori adhærens.—Gramina plerumque
extrairopica ; foliis planis, rarius setaceis ; spiculis majusculis, pedicellatis, paniculatis, rarius racemosis v.
A veiy large genus, found in all parts of the world, but most frequent beyond the tropics and in cold climates,
where they often form extensive pastures.—¿enz»es generaUy soft and flat, sometimes setaceous. Spikelets two- or
many-flowered ; flowers sometimes unisexual, glabrous, or webbed with wool at the base. Glumes awnless, nearly
equal. Lower palea blunt, awnless. Stamens one to three. Seed fr-ee or adhering to the upper palea.—The species
of this genus are extremely variable, especiaUy those of Australia aud New Zealand, which often assume widely
different forms. (Name, the Greek one.)
1. P o a au stralis (Br. Prodr. 179) ; rigida, scabra v. glaberula v. polita, culmis dense cæspitosis
foliis sctaceo-involutis filiformibusve longioribus v. æquilongis, ligula brevissima, panicula effusa rarius
contracta, ramis paucifloris inferioribus capillaribus, glumis seabris 3-7-floris, floribus remotis approxi-
matisve, palea inferiore 5-netvi apice scariosa obtusa basi plus minusve lanata v. nuda.—P. australis,
P. lævis, et P. plebeja, Br. Prodr. I. c.
Var. a. Billardieri; 1-2-pedalis, glaberrima, polita, culmis inferne ramosis foliis spithamæis tereti-
involutis longioribus æquilongisve, panicula lanceolata contracta, spiculis confertis majusculis, glumis acutis
lloribusque 5 approximatis seabris basi parce kuatis : (descript, ab exempl. Labillard.).—Arundo poæformis,
Lab. Fl. Nov. IIoll. i. 27. /. 35.
Var. 0 . monticola; glaberrima v. scaberula, culmis brevibus densissime cæspitosis pedalibus foliis
sctaceo-involutis longioribus, panicula ovata subcontracta v. effusa, spiculis majusculis 3- 7-fioris, glumis
acutis floribusque remotis scaberulis, palea inferiore subtruncata purpurea marginibus albis apice sæpissime
membranacea basi parce villosa v. nuda.—P. lævis, Br. Prodr. l. c. {Gunn, 1466.)
Var. 7 . Sieberiana; scabrida v. glaberrima, foliis setaceis filiformibus culmo æquilongis brevioribusve,
panicula ovata contracta v. effusa, ramis inferioribus capillaribus elongatis, spiculis parvis purpureis