93 
given to landowners to periodically rest the whole or portions of their 
paddocks, in order to enable the grasses to contend against the danger 
of extermination through overstocking. Hooker wrote in 1859: “ This 
is the best fodder grass in Australia,” and the dictum remains true to 
this day. Mac Owan says: “This is the best native fodder we have 
in South Africa.” In western New South Wales it is less succulent 
than in the eastern districts more favoured with rain, and, hence, there 
it sometimes becomes harsh and unpalatable to stock. 
Following is a Victorian account of this grass :—“ Perennial ; 
average height under 3 feet, on rich unstocked land much higher, with 
strong penetrating fibrous roots; in flower during December. This 
grass is found in all parts of Australia. It forms generally but few 
perfect seeds, and these do not germinate readily. Some plants are 
much better seed-bearers than others. It is the finest and most useful 
of all the indigenous grasses. Here it commences to vegetate early in 
November, when all stock should be taken away until it is in flower. 
From then until winter it proves an excellent fattening grass. It 
keeps green during the summer, but turns a little brown in autumn, 
when its nutritive qualities are at the highest. In the early days of 
the Colony, I have ridden the same horse 20 to 40 miles, on a journey 
of several hundred miles, turning him out to graze on pasture of which 
this grass formed the principal part, and the horse kept his condition. 
With a sufficiency of this grass, a little turned by the sun, the working 
powers of horse and cattle can be taxed to the utmost. They keep in 
better condition doing hard work on this than on any other description 
of native forage. If closely grazed by sheep or cattle (the former in 
particular) all the year round, it soon dies out. Other varieties of this 
valuable grass might be obtained by cultivation.” (Bacchus.) 
Other uses—The aborigines of Lake Tyers, Victoria, used to make 
fishing-nets of this grass. <A figure of the mesh, and an account of 
the method of employing the net, will be found in Brough Smyth’s 
Aboriginals of Victoria, 1, 389. 
Habitat and range.—Found in all the colonies, and, in New South 
Wales, all over the Colony. It is eaten out in many districts where it 
was once known to be plentiful. It attaims its greatest luxuriance in 
the good soils of the coast and mountains. Found also in tropical 
Africa and Asia ; common on the Himalaya. 
3. Anthistiria avenacea, F.v.M. 
Botanical name.—Avenacea, Latin, oat-like, in allusion to the 
appearance of the spikelets. 
Synonym.—Themeda gigantea, Hackel, var. 
Vernacular names.—Vhe “ Tall Oat Grass” of the Darling Downs, 
Queensland. Sometimes called simply “ Oat Grass,” and even ‘‘ Kan- 
garoo Grass.” 
Where figured.—Agricultural Gazette. 
Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 543). 
Stems from a more or less silky-hairy or woolly base, 2 to 3 feet high. 
Leaves very narrow, glabrous. 
Sheathing bracts narrow, membranous, glabrous, 1 to 2 inches long. 
