May 3, 1920.\ Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 309 



Popular Descriptions of Grasses* 



[Continued from page 28.] 



E. BREAKWELL, B.A., B.Sc, Agrostologist. 



THE CHLORIS GRASSES. 



The Chloris grasses are fairly commoii throughout the temperate and tropical 

 portions of the world, and particularly so throughout Australia. Every 

 pastoralist is fairiliar with the native grass commonly called Star or 

 Windmill grass {Chloris truncata), and with the introduced grass called 

 Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana). 



The Chloris grasses are very easily recognised, being remarkably similar 

 in inflorescence and somewhat similar in habit of growth. The inflorescence 

 is characterised by spikes of flowers radiating more or less from a common 

 centre ; hence the name " windmill " commonly applied to these grasses. 

 The flowers are closely arranged on the spikes, and a careful examination 

 shows the presence of a fertile flower in close apposition to an infertile one. 

 The seed harvested from Chloris grasses, therefore, has only an approximate 

 50 per cent, fertility, and it is this fact that gives Rhodes grass seed such a 

 low vitality. A germination of 35 per cent, in the seed of Rhodes grass 

 should be considered very satisfactory, as this means that 70 per cent, of the 

 fertile flowers are viable. 



In some of the Chloris grasses the flowers, on ripening their seed, turn 

 black (well seen in Chloris truncata)^ and the seed then easdy shatters. In 

 Rhodes grass the seed commonly turns dark brown on becoming dead ripe, 

 although flowers of a dark straw colour may also contain mature seed. The 

 Chloris grasses that ripen their seed most readily are Chloris gayana (Rhodes 

 grass), C. truncata and C. ventricosa, while others like C. acicularis and 

 C. divaricata ripen their seed rather sparingly. 



Practically all the Chloris grasses have a tendency to root at the lower 

 nodes of the stems, i.e., to send out runners. This is so well marked in 

 Rhodes grass and Chloris virgata that the runners, under suitable conditions, 

 may extend for several feet, and may root so readily at the nodes that 

 several plants are produced from the original plant. This tendency to send 

 out runners, although not so well marked in the native (Chloris grasses, is 

 still present, as can be well seen in the accompanying drawings. Plants 

 that have not been interfered with by heavy stocking are often found to 

 have runners of considerable length. 



The Chloris grasses of greatest economic importance in New South Wales 

 are : — 



Native. 

 Chloris tru7icata 

 C. acicularis 



I Star or 



., , . > Windmill 



6. ventricosa 



C. divaricata 



\ grass. 



Introduced. 



Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass). 



G. virgata. 



