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Graminee.] FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 289 
hairs at the base, upper with a very short setula (of a third flower, which is not produced) at the back of the upper 
palea, which is narrow and membranous, with two central nerves. Stamens two. Anthers short, oblong.—PLATE 
LXV. 4. Fig. 1, spikelet: a. glumes, 5. neuter flowers, c. hermaphrodite; 2, florets removed; 3, hermaphrodite 
floret; 4, sguamula; 5, ovary :—all magnified. 
Gen. II. MICROLZENA, Br. 
Gluma minime, 3-flore, floribus remote; floribus approximatis stipitatis, stipite barbato, inferioribus 
neutris 1-paleatis, paleis aristatis; terminali hermaphrodito; paleis 9: inferiore carinata, acuminata v. 
aristata; superiore breviore, lineari, hyalina. Sguamule 2, glabre. Stamina 4. Ovarium sessile. Cary- 
opsis libera, paleis obtecta.—Culmi simplices v. ramosi. Folia parva v. elongata, plana. Spicule racemosa 
v. paniculata. 
A small genus of New Holland, Tasmanian, and New Zealand Grasses, closely allied to Tetrarrhena and Diplaz, 
differing from them in the long villous pedicels to the florets, which are thus separated from the small glumes, as 
also by the narrow awned palea of one or both of the neuter flowers, the linear hyaline upper palea-of the terminal 
flower, and the linear compressed caryopsis; the stamens are four in the New Zealand species. (Name from puxpos, 
small, and xhawa, a covering ; in allusion to the small glumes.) 
1. Microlena stipoides, Br.; glabra v. vaginis foliisque parce pilosa, culmis gracilibus basi ramosis 
foliosis, panicula gracili nutante, pedicellis inferioribus elongatis, glumis minimis acutis stipite florum 
brevioribus, aristis palearum subsequilongis, paleis scaberulis subeegualibus v. inferiore 1 breviore floris 
hermaphroditi inferiore acuta v. breviter aristata. —Br. Prodr. Kunth, Agrost. p. 16. — Ehrharta stipoides, 
Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. v. 1. p. 16. t. 118. 
Haz. Northern Island; Hawke's Bay and Cape Palliser, Auckland, ete., Sinclair, Colenso. 
A slender Grass, 18 inches to 2 feet high, smooth or slightly hairy on the sheaths and leaves, which are short 
and flat (2-3 inches long). Panicle branched at the base, long, slender, nodding. Lower spikelets on long slender 
stalks. Glumes very minute, deciduous, generally shorter than the bearded pedicel of the flowers. Flowers 1 inch 
long, the two lower of one palea each, their awns of equal length, or the lower one-third shorter than the upper. 
Lower palea of the upper flower sharp, or with a short bristle.—This is a rather common Tasmanian and Australian 
Grass. 
Gen. III. DIPLAX, Banks et Sol. 
Gluma minime, 3-flore ; floribus sessilibus, approximatis, basi nudis; inferioribus neutris, 1-paleatis, 
paleis acuminatis v. aristatis ; supremo hermaphrodito, 2-paleato; palea inferiore acuminata, superiore 
hyalina. Sguamule 2, glabre. Stamina 2-4. Caryopsis libera, paleis obtecta.—Culmi simplices v. ramosi. 
Folia elóngata, plana. Panicule mutantes. 
A Tasmanian and New Zealand genus, very nearly allied to Microlena, but differing in the sessile flowers, not 
hairy at the base, and hardly awned pales of the neuter flowers. (Name in allusion to the two stamens of the first- 
discovered New Zealand species.) 
1. Diplax avenacea, Raoul; culmis cespitosis simplicibus v. basi ramosis levibus, foliis planis latis 
scabriusculis, panicula ramosa elongata nutante, paleis fl. neutr. longe aristatis inferiore superiore 2 breviore, 
fl. herm. palea inferiore acuminata, staminibus 2.—Raoul, Choix des Plantes, p. 11. t. 8. 
Has. Northern and Middle Islands; abundant in woods, Banks and Solander, etc. 
A tall, handsome Grass, 9—4 feet high. Culms densely tufted, compressed and leafy at the base, simple and 
quite smooth above. Leaves 14-2 feet long, i-i inch broad, rough at the edges. Panicle white, 10-15 inches 
long, with many long, slender, few-flowered branches. Spikelets with the awns i inch long. Glumes minute, 
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