132 



Casuarina trees, and in the dense scrubs the small grass, 

 Fanicum pygmcBum, R. Br., will be found, forming a soft thick 

 carpet in its natural state. It is not much relished by stock, but 

 if grown on open country it would doubtless prove a valuable 

 species for some lands. In company with the above a much 

 more delicate species will often be seen, perhaps a variety of 

 JP.pygmceum. Robt. Brown's two species of Orthopor/on, O. 

 compositum and O. imhecillis, are great shade lovers, and may 

 be often met with on the sides of hills ; the genus will be at 

 once recognised by its straight beard. 



The wheat-like Danthonia, D. triticoides Lindley, and 

 Sclerachne cyathopoda of F. von Mueller, two grasses from the 

 north of Queensland, are highly spoken of as fodder species. 

 On the Darling Downs, generally spoken of as the richest 

 pasture lands of the colony, there are a few species of grasses 

 that seem peculiar to the locality. Therefore it will be as well 

 to notice them as Down grasses. The Downs Oat-grass, 

 AntMstiria avenacea, of Baron Mueller, is one of the most 

 productive grasses of Australia. Like all other kinds of 

 kangaroo grasses, this produces a large amount of bottom 

 fodder, but it also has the advantage of being a prolific 

 seeder. 



The Black or Brown-topped grass is next in importance to 

 the Oat. This, Dr. Brown's Saccharum fidvum {Erianthus 

 fulvus, Kuntli), is a sweet grass, of which stock are so fond, that 

 they actually eat it down so close as to cause it to die out. 



The Bamboo grass Stipa ramosissima, Sleber, although a very 

 coarse hard species, is by some highly spoken of as a horse 

 fodder. The larger masses of fine grass, produced at the 

 nodes of the stems, makes this species easy of recognition. 



Pennisetum glaucum, E. Br., is a fine fodder grass, and well 

 worthy of cultivation. The same may be said of Baron 

 Mueller's P«/?«c?M« coenicolum; this species is in appearance 

 very like Panicum divaricatissimum, a grass found along the 

 Brisbane River. The White-topped grass, *DantJwnia 

 penicillata, F. v. M., the Umbrella grass, Aristida ramosa; 

 R. Br., and Pappophorv,m commune, F. v. M., are three kinds 

 peculiar to the districts, and by some spoken well of, but they 

 seem, from the specimen before me, to be of a rather dry 

 nature. The following grasses have become naturalised in our 

 pastures : — 



The well-known Prairie Grass, Promus unioloides S.B. and 

 Kunth, is an excellent grass, producing a fine winter fodder, and 

 plenty of seed. The Guinea grass, Panicum maximum, Jacq., 

 a most valuable fodder, stands cutting well. The Buffalo 

 grass, Stenotaphrum Americanum, Schrad. This is a very fine 

 and desirable species, and cannot be too highly spoken of; 



