574 jigricuHural Gazette of N.SJF. | .////// 2, 190^. 



If it is pliMitifiil in lawns, it is h '^t to cut tlic all'cctcd [xn-tioiis out and 

 returf. 



Never allow it to seeil. The seed is the food of many hirds, and is 

 aVmndantly (lissiMuiuated through th(>ir n^ciii y. 



An official AiiKM-ican report calls it a •• viU' ])e.st.'" It is sj)reading in 

 New Soutli Wales, and should be kept under c()nfrol. 



(jHes. — " Home farmers have recoimncndcd tliis ]ilant, by the nami' of rib- 

 '"•rass, as a good food for sheep, or to b(» made into hay for cattle in general. 

 It yields indeed an abundant croj), bur it has been said no domestic animal 

 will eat it, except mixed ^vith otlusr \ egetables ; which, if true, is not much 

 in its favour." — (h'ln/lis/i /l<>/(nn/, \'ol. '■). J. Sowerby.) 



There is no doubt, however, that they eat it when it is young. To this 

 day it is frequently reconnnended in Europe as a constituent of pasture 

 mixtures. It possess(>s the a-dv'antage of growing on the most sterile soils. 



I certainly do not rcconnnond its cultivation in New 8outh Wales, 

 believing that we lia\c many plants superior in merit to it and |)Ossessing 

 fewer of its disadvantages. 



EXPLANATION OF rLATK. 



A. Floweriiitr specimen ; ovate-shaped tlower, cylitiiU'lcal in fruit. 



B. Tlie whole tlower supported b}' a bract (a). 



(bb) 4 sepals. 



(r) Two of the sepals wliich are connate. 

 ((/) Oorolla witli 4 recurved lolies. 

 (e) 4 stamens. 

 </) I long style. 

 c. The capsule opened cu-cumseiss and showing the two seeds {b) ; tlie corolla with 

 its reflexed lobes (a) adheres to the capsule. 



Noj-jj;. — The leaves are n-ribbed, one rib in the middle and two on each side, though 

 in broad leaves there may be two more faint riVis, one on each side. The 5 ribs are so 

 constant that the species has been named " (pun(|ucnervia '" on that account, though the 

 name is abandoned. 



The inflorescence is ovoid when in Hower, rarely more elongated, but it lengthens 

 out to cylindrical when in fruit. 





