15 
13. §. arachnopus, Pilg. in Diels and Pritz. Fragm. 
Phytog. Austral. Occ. 70, in Engl. Jahrb. xxxv. e  deser. 
S. setacea, Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 586 p.p. non R. Br. (Figs. 
13 & 13a, pp. 17 & 19.) : 
W. AvustratiA. Swan River, Drummond 136 (or 961?); . 
Coolgardie, near Bullabulling, Diels 5954* (not seen). 
14. §. variabilis, Hughes, nov. sp. (Figs. 14 & 14a, 
pp. 17 & 19.) Perennis, caespitosa, 30-80 cm. alta. Culmi 
-erecti, teretes, 1—2-nodi, nodis glabris vel subpubescentibus 
plerumque exsertis. oliorum vaginae arctae, striatae, glabrae, 
glabrescentes vel raro pubescentes; ligulae saepe unilateraliter 
elongatae, ad 2 mm. longae, ciliatae; laminae lineares, convolutae, 
subflexuosae, in acumen longe attenuatae, 5-15 (raro.25) em. 
longae, glabrae, leviter scaberulae vel pubescentes. Panicula 
15-25 cm. longa, usque 2-3 cm. lata; axis primarius laevis; rami 
magis minusve erecti, tenues, pauciflori, ad 9 cm. longi, scaberuli ; 
pedicelli saepe curvati vel nutantes, 3-8 mm. longi, scaberuli. 
Spiculae paulo hiantes, 1-2—-1-5 cm. longae. Glumae subaequales, 
acuminatae, membranaceae, basi plerumque violaceae, apice 
subintegra; callus acuminatus ad 2 mm. longus; arista 6-7 cm. 
longa, columna scaberula vel pubescente 11-14 mm. longa, seta 
valde recurva; valvula valvam aequans. S. setacea, Hook. f. 
Fl. Tasman. ii. 110, t. 157; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 568 p.p. non 
R. Br.; S. scabra, 1. c. 571 p.p. non Lindl.; S. pubescens var. 
effusa, Benth 1. c. 570. 
W. AvusTRALIA. Kauring on the York-Greenhills Line, 
Stoward 361, 459, 466 p.p.; Swan River, Drummond 961*; 
Ningham Country beyond the Arrowsmith River, Monger. 
S. Ausrratia? ‘‘ Central Australia,’ Sturt 16, 17. 
Victoria. Wendu Vale in large patches, Robertson 531; 
Yarra River, Mueller; Port Phillip, MacGillivray 880; Murray 
River, Mueller. 
Tasmania. Without precise locality, Gunn 1487. 
The specimens enumerated here comprise a variety of forms, 
but none of them seem specifically distinct. The glumes vary 
slightly in length, but all have the same texture and shape. 
Robertson 531, from Victoria, is the only plant with the lower 
leaf sheaths pubescent, but it agrees in all other particulars. 
The species seems very closely allied to S. Drummondit, Steud., 
which differs merely in the very much denser panicle with longer 
and more divided branches, the usually straighter awn and the 
texture of the blades. In S. variabilis the blades are mostly 
glabrous and exceedingly hard, showing in cross section very 
prominent nerves with thin weak tissue between them, causing 
them to split up readily. (Fig. 144, p. 19.) In S. Drummondit 
the blades are densely pubescent, much softer to cut and only 
loosely or sometimes hardly convolute, and the tissue between the 
nerves is thicker with no tendency to splitting. (Fig. 15a, p. 19.) 
