Deschanvpsia. | GRAMINES. 879 
silky at the base, oblong, membranous, 5-nerved, truncate at the 
tip and 3-toothed, the middle tooth entire or bifid or irregularly 
erose, the 3rd awnless or very obscurely awned, the 4th usually 
with a minute dorsal awn inserted just below the tip. Palea linear- 
oblong, bifid, 2-nerved, nerves finely ciliate. Rhachilla elongated 
between the flowering glumes and densely silky, produced above the 
upper flower into a long silky bristle. 
AucKLAND IsuaAnps: Carnley Harbour, aititude 1000 ft., Kirk ! 
The densely tufted habit, short strict erect leaves, deltoid few-flowered 
panicle, large spikelets, and densely hairy rhachilla distinguish this from all its 
‘allies. 
7. D. penicillata, 7. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 
354.—Culms tufted, slender, glabrous, leafy, 3-6in. high. Leaves 
shorter than the culms, radical and cauline; blades short, 3-14in. 
long, narrow, flat or involute, striate ; sheaths pale, membranous, 
deeply grooved, the uppermost long, enclosing the culm up to the 
base of the panicle ; ligules long, pointed, scarious, broader than 
the blade at the base. Panicle small, 1—2in. long, few-flowered ; 
branches few, capillary, the lower ones bearing 2-3 spikelets, the 
upper 1-spiculate. Spikelets 44+1n. long, pale yellow-green, 
shining, 2-flowered. Two outer glumes almost equalling the 
flowering glumes, subequal, oblong-lanceolate, subacute, hyaline, 
3-nerved ; 3rd and 4th or flowering glumes oblong, very delicate, 
with white hyaline tips, 5-nerved, silky at the base, obtuse or 
almost truncate at the tip and irregularly minutely denticulate, 
awn wanting. Palea linear-oblong, 2-nerved, nerves silky. Rha- 
chilla elongated between the flowering glumes and produced beyond 
the upper flower into a bristle bearing a minute empty glume at its 
summit, silky throughout. 
MacquarizE Istanp: In swamps, A. Hamilton! 
I regret that I have only seen two small and immature specimens of this 
curious little plant, which is by no means closely related to any other New 
Zealand species. 
21. TRISETUM, Pers. 
Perennial or rarely annual grasses. Leaves flat. Spikelets 
rather small, usually 2-flowered, more rarely 3—6-flowered, ar- 
ranged in a narrow dense or lax panicle; rhachilla disarticu- 
lating above the 2 outer glumes, more or less produced 
between the flowering glumes and beyond the upper flower 
into a short bristle. Two outer glumes persistent, empty, equal 
or unequal, acute, keeled, 1-3-nerved. Flowering glumes 2-3, 
rarely more, equalling or exceeding the empty glumes, mem- 
branous with broad hyaline margins, 2-toothed at the apex, 
tie teeth often produced into bristles or short awns; dorsal awn 
from the back below the tip, slender, straight or bent, often twisted 
