Festuca.| , GRAMINES. 919 
is very closely allied to F’. ovina, differing mainly in the innovation-shoots being 
frequently stoloniferous, and usually both extravaginal and intravaginal, and in 
their sheaths being closed almost to the mouths; also in the ligules not being 
auricled, and in the stem-leaves being usually broader and flatter than those on 
the innovation-shoots. It has considerable value as a sheep-grass, and is often 
sown on sheep-runs. Outside New Zealand it has a wide range in Europe and 
northern Asia. 
4. F. contracta, 7. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 353.— 
Culms densely tufted, smooth, strict, erect, leafy, 6—9in. high. 
Leaves longer or shorter than the culms, narrow, strict, erect, com- 
plicate or almost terete, pungent at the tip, smooth or faintly striate 
on the back, the midrib and, nerves prominent on the inner face; 
sheaths rather lax, thin, pale, grooved; ligules very short, truncate. 
Panicle 2-3 in. long, strict, narrow, erect, spike-like, simple or with 
a few short branches in the lower half; rhachis angled, scaberulous; 
branches or pedicels short, stout, erect. Spikelets pale, about din. 
long including the awns, 2-3-flowered. ‘Two outer glumes unequal, 
from # to # the length of the entire spikelet, narrow-lanceolate, 
smooth, membranous, acuminate but not awned ; lower 1- or faintly 
3-nerved, upper distinctly 3-nerved. Flowering giumes lanceolate, 
rounded on the back, rather thin, 5-nerved, narrowed into a short 
stiff awn, surfaces minutely scaberulous, callus glabrous. Palea 
shorter than the glume, faintly ciliolate along the keels. Grain 
oblong-obovoid, grooved ; hilum linear, about 4 its length. 
Macquarig Isntanp: Professor Scott! A. Hamilton! 
I have only seen two very indifferens specimens of this plant, and some 
allowance must consequently be made for the description. 
5. F. Coxii, Hack. MSS.—Rhizome stout, creeping. Culms 
densely tufted, branched at the base, erect or slightly geniculate, 
slender, smooth, leafy, 6-18in. high. Leaves numerous, longer 
than the culms, slender, soft, pliant, the margins so much involute 
that the leaf is terete, smooth on the back, midrib prominent on the 
inner face; sheaths rather lax, thin, smooth, striate, open to the 
base; ligules very short, truncate, ciliolate at the tip. Panicle 
2-3 in. long, narrow, rather dense, often reduced to a simple raceme 
or spike, or with 2—3-spiculate branches in the lower part; rhachis 
stout, angled, scabrid; branches or pedicels very short, stout, 
scabrid, the upper spikelets nearly sessile. Spikelets about #in. 
long with the awns, laxly 3-d-flowered. Two outer glumes un- 
equal, from 4 to # the length of the whole spikelet, narrowed into 
long acuminate scabrid points ; lower linear, 1-nerved ; upper longer, 
narrow-lanceolate, 3-nerved. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate, 
firm, rounded on the back, concave, faintly 5-nerved, gradually 
narrowed into a terete scabrid awn as long or longer than the 
glume, surface densely minutely scabrid, callus glabrous. Palea 
