133 



besides being a fiuc pasture f:;rass, it is also vahiable for 

 holding together loose banks of rivers and creeks. To these 

 may be added Poa annua and. Poa pratensis, with also the 

 ]>re'tty little Briza minor. As it is in the winter months, say 

 June and July, that the pasture is at its worst in Queensland, 

 I sliall next notice a ias^f of the best species at that season. 



The introduced Prairie Grass, Bronms unioloides, keeps up a 

 good growth until about the end of September. This grass is 

 only found on the rich land along rivers, &c. Poa annua will 

 be found pretty generally S'^attered over our ridges. 



The Blady grass, *Imp?rata arumUnacea, where the old has 

 been burnt off during the summer, produces a large amount 

 of siveet fead. Paspalam orbiculare, when close fed, is a most 

 valuable winter grass, but if let to get old cattle refuse it. 



The Old Kangaroo gras^, Anthistiria australis, a fine grass 

 in all seasons, is one of our best wiuter species. 



Helopus annulafus. This grass, like the above, produces 

 all the year round. 



Though delicate looking, * 3Iicrolena stipoides produces a 

 large quantity of feed on our damp hill -sides during winter. 

 And the swamps are also covered at this season with Leersia 

 hexandra. 



On the rich alluvial soils bordering our rivers, Sporoholus 

 indicus and S. diander, produce abundant feed. 



Andropogon refractus, although a species whicTi does not like 

 cold, yet where there is good shelter, is a good species for 

 forest land, even in winter. The same may be said of Pani- 

 cum hicolor, P. parvi/lorum, P. marginatum, and its variety 

 strichun, all good forest grasses. Andropogon falcatus, a 

 valuable lawn grass, is also a good winter species. Doubtless 

 this list might be extended much further, but enough are 

 noticed to show that even iu our worst time the pasture of 

 Queensland is good. 



Before closing this paper, it may be well to notice those 

 grasses which seem more susceptible than others to the para- 

 sitical fungus (Ergot). The following are the species I have 

 usually noticed infested : — Sporoholus elonqatus, T. indicus, 8. 

 diander, Paspalum orbiculare, and Leersia hexandra. I may 

 here notice that one of our common sedges, a small Fimhri- 

 sfglis, is at times very bad with an ergoty fungus. May it not 

 be this, which at times poisons sheep, and not the too often 

 condemned flowering shrubs ? 



F. M. BAILEY. 



Brisbane, Queensland, 

 September, 1875. 



Note. — The foregoing paper was read by the Rev. J. E. Tenison 

 Woods, who marked thus * the species iiidigenoiis to Tasmania. 



