74 
Value as a fodder.—A very close-growing grass, forming on even 
dry, stony ridges a close turf. (Bailey.) 
Habitat and range.—Extends from New South Wales to Northern 
Australia. In our own Colony found on the northern rivers, extending 
to the table-land. Found also in Ceylon andin the Indian Peninsula. 
10. Ischemum laxum, R.Br. 
Botanical name.—Laxum, Latin for loose or slack, in allusion to the 
habit of the grass. 
Vernacular name.—< Rat’s-tail Ischeemum.” 
Where figured.—Agricultural Gazette. 
Botanical description (B. F1., vii, 522).—A rather slender grass of 2 
to 3 feet, the Australian specimens quite glabrous. 
Leaves narrow, often subulate. 
Ligula short, ciliate. 
Spike single, dense, sometimes slightly curved, 2 to 4 or rarely 5 inches long; rhachis 
and pedicels ciliate. 
Sessile spikelet narrow, scarcely flattened, 3 to 4 lines long. 
' Outer glume acutely acuminate, with two rather prominent nerves and obscure ones 
between them. 
Second glume thin, produced into a long, fine, straight awn. 
Third hyaline, with a male flower. 
Terminal glume hyaline, narrow, bifid, with a long, bent awn. 
Pedicellate spikelet more conspicuous, much flattened as well as the pedicel. 
Glumes acutely acuminate, the outer ones broadly lanceolate, with five very pro- 
minent nerves, 
Second thin, scarious, faintly three-nerved, two flowering glumes and paleas thin 
and hyaline, both with male flowers or the third empty. 
Value as a fodder—This is a coarse grass, often met with at the base 
of hills. Before seeding it forms a fair pasture for cattle, but is not 
adapted for sheep. (Bailey.) Mr. Lowrie says it is one of the best 
grasses in the Ajmere district of India. (Duthie.) 
Habitat and range-—Extends from New England, New South 
Wales, to Northern Australia; occurs also in tropical Asia and 
Africa. 
27. ARTHRAXON. 
Spikelets one-flowered, sessile in the alternate notches of the 
articulate rhachis of simple spikes, with a short pedicel in the same 
notch usually without any spikelet, the spikes sessile or shortly 
pedunculate in a simple terminal panicle. 
Glumes four, the outer one the largest, membranous, several-nerved; 
the second keeled, acute ; the third smaller, hyaline, all awnless; fourth 
or terminal glume shorter than the second, hyaline but keeled, with 
a dorsal awn arising from the base, but twisted and bent as in 
Andropogon. 
Palea very small and hyaline. 
Styles distinct. 
Grain enclosed in the outer glumes, but free from them. 
Stems usually weak or slender with short broad leaves. 
