126 GRASSES. 
Spinifex of our colonists is a Fescue, but a true Spinifex occupies 
our sand-shores; its aggregated flowers form large clusters, 
roundish-expanded and pungent on the fruiting plant. Tennent 
remarks, that the radiating heads become detached when the 
seed is matured, and are carried by the wind along the sand, 
Fie. LV. 
Fig. LV.—(Ebrharta stipoides).—Portion of the grass 
in general outline. 
over the surface 
of which they 
are propelled by 
their elastic 
spines, dropping 
their seeds as 
they roll onward ; 
the heads are so 
buoyant as to 
float lightly on 
water, and while 
their uppermost 
spiny rays act as 
sails, they are 
carried across 
narrow inlets, to 
continue the pro- 
cess of embank- 
ing. In the ge- 
nera Stipa and 
Agrostis, both 
well represented 
in Victoria, the 
structure of the 
grass - flower is 
of the simplest 
kind, each floret 
being separated 
and _ bisexual, 
consisting of the 
normal two outer 
bracts or glumes 
