298 Alfred J. Eicart : 



AsTKR SUBUT.ATUS, Miclix. " Shrub Aster." (Compositae). 



Otukai, New Zealand. H. Carse, April, 1914. 



A native of North America, widely spread as a naturalised 

 alien in Victoria and New South Wales, but has not been hitherto 

 recorded as growing wild in New Zealand. 



Atropis magellanica or Atropis stricta? (Hook). Des\. 

 (Grauiineae). 



Gerniantown, near Geelong, Victoria. H. B. Williamson, 

 N'ovember, 1910. 



This grass is a native of the southern part of South America,, 

 has only recently appeared, and is apparently sufficiently estab- 

 lished to be considered naturalised, at least near Germantown. 

 In regard to it Professor Hitchcock writes: — "The species of thi» 

 genus are in great confusion, and it is difficult to identify them 

 with certainty, until the group has been inonographed. The three 

 nerved upper glume of A. magellanica is unusual." This species 

 has at different times been placed under Catabrosa, and also under 

 Glyceria. The grass appears as though it would be of some value 

 as a pasture plant, but nothing definite appears to be known from 

 this point of view in regard to it. It has no injurious properties 

 so far as is known at present. 



Dr. Stapf writes: — "The spikelets agree very well with those 

 of a specimen of Glyceria stricta, collected l)y Adamson. near Mel- 

 bourne, in 1856, and fairly well with those of Hooker's type ot 

 Glyceria stricta from New Zealand, except that the joints of the 

 rhacilla are generally longer, and the spikelets therefore laxer ; 

 but we have no samples Avith panicles equally loose. I wonder 

 whether it can be a shade form. This could only be decided in the 

 field or by experiment. Meanwhile the grass might Ix- marked as 

 Glyceria (Atropis) stricta, f. perlaxa." 



Professor Hackel considers it to be Atropis stricta. Hack. var. 

 tenuispica, Hack, ined (Glyceria tenuispica Steud.). a species found 

 in Australia and New Zealand. 



The ])ositi()ii of this grass is for the present uncertain. 



AvENA 15ARBATA, Brot. "Barbed Oat Grass" (Graniiiieae). 



Govcniiiiciit Domain. Melbourne. Edwin Cheel, 9/1/1913. 

 A native of Aral)ia. Asia Minor, and the Mediterranean Regions, 

 not vet sufficientlv established to l)e considered naturalised. 



1 



