4 
Bromus. | GRAMINES:. 921 
i. 310; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 341; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 661; Buch. 
N.Z. Grasses, t. 56a. B. australis, &. Br. Prodr. 178: A. Cunn. 
Precur. n. 258; Raoul, Choix, 39. 
NortH Istanp: Rocky and sandy places near the sea, abundant from the 
North Cape to the East Cape and Taranaki, local farther south, rare inland, but 
occurring at Lake Rotorua and elsewhere. SourH Isnanp: Cape Farewell, 
Kirk! Also not uncommon in Australia. 
Several species of Bromus from the Northern Hemisphere are now firmly 
established as naturalised plants, the most abundant being B. mollis, a rather 
small species with a compact ovoid panicle and turgid spikelets; and 
B. sterilis, with a lax drooping panicle and large long-awned spikelets 2 in. long. 
with the awns. 
32. AGROPYRUM, Gaertn. 
Annual or perennial grasses. Leaves flat or convolute ; ligules 
searious. Spikelets more or less laterally compressed, 3- to many- 
flowered, solitary and sessile, distichously placed in the alternate 
hollows of the continuous or jointed rhachis of a simple spike, one 
face of the spikelet next the rhachis ; rhachilla disarticulating above 
the two outer glumes and usually between the flowering glumes. Two 
outer glumes subequal or unequal, empty, persistent, lanceolate or 
linear. Flowering glumes more or less rigid and coriaceous, rounded 
on the back or keeled above, 5—7-nerved, awned or awnless. Palea 
rather shorter than the glume, snarply 2-keeled, ciliate on the keels. 
Lodicules 2, oblique or unequally lobed, entire or ciliate. Stamens 
3. Ovary villous at the top; styles very short; stigmas plumose. 
Grain narrow, compressed at the back, often adherent to the palea ; 
hilum as long as the grain. 
Species about 35, found in almost all temperate counties, but most 
abundant in Hurope and north Asia. Of the 4 species found in New Zealand, 
1 extends to Australia, the remaining 3 are endemic. 
* Awn short, never more than 4 the length of the flowering glume. 
Spikelets 1in., 6-12-flowered. Awn very short, sometimes 
wanting Sc 8 Se a ay 
Spikelets 4in., 2-4-flowered. Awn from 4 to 4 the length 
of the flowering glume Ae a sts a 2s A. Hinysie: 
1. A, multiflorum. 
** Awn very long, from 3 to 5 times the length of the flowering glume. 
MA t=) o fo) & 
Spikelets 14-3 in. long with the awns; awn rather slender 3. A. scabrumnt. 
Spikelets 4in. long with the awns; awn stout, rigid, 
channelled te se 250 *. -. 4. A. Youngii. 
1. A. multiflorum, 7. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxix. (1897) 
530.—Perennial. Culins densely tufted, branched, decumbent or 
almost prostrate at the base, erect above, quite smooth and 
glabrous, leafy, 1-2ft. high. Leaves 3-Sin. long, about tin. 
broad, flat or slightly convolute when dry, tapering from the base 
upwards, somewhat rigid and coriaceous, prominently striate, 
