48 BOTANY OF NORTH-WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES, 



have botanised extensively in all the Australian States, I never 

 saw so many species of GrajninecB growing to a given area as in 

 the north-west of New South Wales. There are fifty indigenous 

 genera and one hundred and thirt3^-four species, besides a number 

 of well-marked varieties; most of the important ones have been 

 figured and described, as to their economic value, by me under 

 instructions from the Government of New^ South Wales, The 

 genus Panicum has the largest number of species, including some 

 of the most valuable pasture grasses of Australia. Andropogon 

 sericeus, R.Br., is the famous "blue grass," so called because the 

 young growth gives quite a blue tint to large tracts of country. 

 All pastoralists have a high opinion of the great feeding value of 

 this species. The genus Arithisiiria includes three species — one 

 of them, the "kangaroo grass," A. ciliata, Linn., is the most 

 widely distributed grass on this continent, being found in all the 

 States of the Commonwealth. A. avenacea, F.v.M., often grows 

 nine feet high on the black soil plains, and in ordinary seasons 

 produces a large quantity of valuable stock feed. Several species 

 of the genus Stipa are regarded with disfavour by the sheep- 

 owner on account of the spear-like bases of their flowering glumes 

 and long terminal awns, but S. aristiglumis, F.v.M., is an 

 excellent forage plant. I have seen it growing nine feet six 

 inches high on the Liverpool Plains, and in its young and succu- 

 lent state cattle are remarkably fond of it and fatten on it. Six 

 species of Danthonia are fairly well distributed over this region, 

 and three species of Astrehla grow over large tracts of country. 

 The former genus includes the well-known "wallab}^ grass," and 

 the latter the famous "Mitchell grasses," which stockmen regard 

 as the most valuable pasture plants in the interior of Australia. 

 Most of these grasses are remarkable for their drought-enduring 

 qualities. The " windmill grasses '" (Chloris spp.) and species of 

 Eragrostis are also prominent amongst the pasture herbage. 

 Several species of this and other genera are really very beautiful 

 when in flower, and are worth attention from those who grow 

 grasses for their ornamental appearance alone. Several exotic 

 species, four of an undesirable character, viz., Avena fatua, Linn., 



