378 Transactions. — Botany. 



Engler and Prantl's " Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien " would 

 alone place him in the first rank of European agrostologists. 



During the preparation of the work on the " Flora of New 

 Zealand," on which I am at present engaged, the necessity 

 for a thorough investigation of the New Zealand grasses by- 

 some one possessing a special knowledge of the order became 

 still more apparent. It was therefore with much satisfac- 

 tion that I received an intimation from Professor Hackel that 

 he was willing to undertake this, provided that he was sup- 

 plied with a sufficient amount of fresh material from all parts 

 of the colony. This, with the kind assistance of Mr. Petrie 

 and Mr. Cockayne, who have contributed very large suites of 

 specimens to the collection which I could withdraw from my 

 own herbarium, I have been able to do. Professor Hackel's 

 report on this collection and on the New Zealand grasses 

 generally contains a large amount of valuable information, 

 especially regarding the difficult genera Agrostis, Deyeuxia, 

 Danthonia, Poa, &c, and will prove of the utmost service in 

 the elaboration of the order for the forthcoming "Flora," for 

 which I have his permission to use it. He has also furnished 

 diagnoses in Latin of certain new species contained in the 

 collection, which at his request I now submit to the Institute 

 for publication in the Transactions. — T. F. Cheeseman.] 



1. Imperata cheesemani, Hack. 



Perennis, innovationibus extravaginalibus. Culmi subro- 

 busti, erecti, ad 40 cm. alti, teretiusculi, glaberrimi, 3-nodes, 

 simplices, farcti. Vaginae foliorum laxae, internodia super- 

 antes, teretiusculse, ore barbatae, ceterum glaberrimae, summa 

 paniculae basin amplectens, infiinae squamiformes. Ligulae 

 breves, truncatae, menibranaceae, glabrae v. ciholataa. Laminae 

 e basi valde angustata (in foliis basilaribus fere petioliformi) 

 lineari-lanceolatae, acutae, inferiores ad 30 cm. longae, 1-3 cm. 

 latae, superiores abbreviates, summa minuta, planae, erectae, 

 rigidae, glaberrimae, costa media inferne crassa, nervisque 

 lateralibus crassiusculis non prominentibus percursae. Pani- 

 cula spiciformis, anguste lanceolata a ^ mferiore sensim 

 angustata, acutissima, ad 20 cm. longa, 2 cm. lata, densa, 

 canescenti-villosa, non nitens, rhachi glabra, ramis creberrimis 

 sibi valde approximatis solitariis vel oppositis, erecto-patulis, 

 flexuosis, glaberrimis vel pilis raris adspersis (inferioribus circ. 

 3 cm. longis), simplicibus v. inferne ramulis brevissimis auctis, 

 fere a basi spiculiferis. Eacemi (" spicae ") inferiores circ. 

 3 cm. longi, rhachi crassiuscula, glabra, internodhs circ. 12, 

 quam pedicelli spicularum vix brevioribus, pedicellis crassius- 

 culis, valde clavatis, glaberrimis, primariis circ. 2 mm., 

 secundariis 1 mm. longis. Spiculae lineari-oblongae, 3-5 mm. 

 longae, villis e callo ortis spicula sesquilongioribus canescen- 



