4:7 
seen cattle eat it manya time; nevertheless, as it gets old, it becomes 
harsh and fibrous, and less acceptabie to herbivorous animals, par- 
ticularly where occurring in dry rocky places. On the northern rivers 
it is less succulent than further south—say from Port Jackson to 
Gippsland. Its decumbent joint-rooting habit renders it sometimes 
serviceable to form a first growth of grass on newly-made ground. 
Habitat and range-—This grass is confined to the three eastern 
Colonies, extending from Hastern Gippsland as far as the southern 
parts of North Queensland. It is confined to the coast and coast- 
mountain districts, not extending far inland. Baron von Mueller 
records it from as far west as New England in this Colony. 
Reference to Plate.—a and B, Portions of a panicle variously enlarged; c, Spikelet, 
showing relative size and outer glume; pb, Spikelet dissected, showing outer glumes, 
silky, pubescent fruiting glume and palea; £, front and back views of seed (grain). All 
variously magnified. 
46. Panicum obseptum, ‘Trin. 
Botanical name.—Obseptum—lLatin for “hedged in, or shut up 
against,’ perhaps in allusion to the ligula, which consists of a ring of 
cilia. 
Botanical description (B. F1., vii, 486).—A weak glabrous grass, 
decumbent at the base or creeping in the mud, and shortly ascending. 
Leaves narrow, the liguia a ring of cilia. 
Panicle narrow and loose, 1 to 2 inches long, of few simple or scarcely divided 
branches. 
Spikelets few, pedicellate, the upper one of each primary branch solitary, the lower 
ones two or three together on short secondary branches, all narrow, ovoid, 1 to 
1} line long, quite glabrous, rather obtuse. 
Outer glume short, broad, nerveless, truncate or shortly acute. 
Second and third equal or nearly so, membranous, five-nerved, both empty. 
Fruiting glume rather acute, smooth and shining. 
Value as a fodder—Unknown. 
Habitat and range.—Confined to this Colony, as far as we know at 
present. Port Jackson to New England (coast to tableland) im muddy 
places. 
48. Panicum bicolor, R.Br. 
Botanical name.—Bicolor—Uatin for two-coloured, referrmg to the 
spikelets. 
Where figured. Agricultural Gazette. 
Botanical description (B.F., vii, 487) —Usually a small slender tufted 
grass, with much the habit of some species of Aira or Agrostis, but 
sometimes above | foot high, approaching in habit P. melananthum. 
Leaves linear, usually very narrow, more or less hairy, especially at the orifice of the 
sheath, rarely quite glabrous. 
Ligula very short, ciliate. 
Panicle usually only 2 or 3 inches long, loose and slender, but rather narrow, but 
sometimes larger and spreading. 
Branches capillary and flexuose, not clustered and not much divided. 
Spikelets all pedicellate, about 1 line long, glabrous. 
Outer glume acute, three-nerved, fully half as long as the spikelet. 
Second and third glume nearly equal, acute, about five-nerved. 
Third with a palea but not stamens. 
Fruiting glume smooth and shining. 
