Agropyrum. | GRAMINE. 923: 
3. A. scabrum, Beauv. Agrost. 102.—Annual or perennial, very 
variable. Culms laxly tufted, slender, decumbent at the base, erect 
or ascending above, quite smooth, leafy, 6-24in. high. Leaves 
2-9in. long, ,-;1;in. broad, flat or convolute, usualiy scabrid on 
both suriaces, often glaucous; sheaths smooth, grooved, the upper 
long; ligules short, truncate. Spike 3-9in. long, of 2-10 rather 
distant erect spikelets; rhachis flattened, scabrid on the angles. 
Spikelets 3-1 in. long without the awns, 14-3 in. with them, 6-12- 
flowered. Two outer glumes small, not reaching more than + up 
the flowering glumes immediately above them, subequal, narrow- 
lanceolate, tapering into short acuminate points, rigid, 3—d-nerved. 
Flowering glumes lanceolate, coriaceous, smooth and rounded on 
‘the back at the base, obscurely keeled and scabrid above, 3—5-nerved, 
narrowed into a long and slender straight or flexuous scabrid awn 
from 3 to 5 times as long as the glume itself. Palea almost as long 
as the glume, linear-oblong, ciliolate on the keels.—Benth. F'. 
Austral. vii. 665. Triticum scabrum, R. Br. Prodr. 178; A. Rich. 
Fl. Nouv. Zel. 187; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 260; Raowl, Choiz, 39; 
Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 311; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 342; Buch. N.Z. 
Grasses, t. 57. Festuca scabra, Lab. Pl. Nov. Holl. i. 22, t. 26. 
KeRMADEC Istanps, NortH anp SoutH Is~tanps: Abundant throughout. 
Sea-level to 4500 ft. 
' Also plentiful in Australia, from Queensland to Tasmania and West Aus- 
tralia. In small specimens the spike is sometimes reduced to a single terminal 
spikelet. Subalpine specimens usually have larger and fewer spikelets with 
longer awns than those from lowland districts, but the size of the spikelet and 
length of the awns varies excessively. 
4. A. Youngii, Cheesem.—‘‘ Habit of T. scabrum. Leaves quite 
glabrous below, slightly scabrid on the upper surface. Spike 2-3 in. 
long, of 3-4 very large spikelets 4in. long, including the awns. 
Empty glumes 4in. long, acuminate, margins membranous, flower- 
ing ones nearly 2in. long without the awn, which is 14-2 in. long, 
very stout, rigid, scabrid, convex at the back, concave in front with 
scabrid edges, margins and sides of glume scabrid and almost 
aculeate.’’—Triticum Youngii, Hook. 7. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 348. 
SourH Isnanp: Canterbury—‘‘Grassy flats, sources of the Wai taki 
altitude 3000 ft., Haast.” 
*¢A remarkable plant, with few spikelets, almost twice as large as those of 
T. scabrum, and very long rigid awns. My specimens are imperfect, and some 
allowance must here be made for the description.’’ This does not seem to have 
been observed since its original discovery by Haast, and in the absence of 
further information I have reproduced Hooker’s description. Apparently it only 
differs from A. scabrwm in the larger size of the spikelets and the longer and 
stouter awns, and seeing how variable these characters are in A. scabrum L 
should not be surprised if it proved to be a form of that plant. 
