296 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [Gramineg. 
often whorled. Gluimes two, nearly equal, keeled, one-flowered, or often with the pedicel of an upper flower. Palee 
two: lower awnless or awned at the back (often in the same species); upper two-nerved, rarely 0. dwn never 
twisted. Scales two. Stamens three. —Caryopsis quite free. (Name from aypos, a field; the species abounding in 
open places.) 
1. Agrostis canina, L.; glaberrima, culmis ceespitosis foliosis, foliis planis, ligula membranacea elon- 
gata, panicula effusa lanceolata, ramis primariis capillaribus verticillatis, spiculis parvis, glumis subsequalibus 
acuminatis flore paulo longioribus carinis apicibusque ciliatis, palea inferiore basi breviter pilosa membra- 
nacea 4-nervi apice truncata 4-cuspidata, arista supra medium inserta vel exserta, superiore brevissima v. 0. 
(Diagnosis ad exempl. Noves Zeland.) — Linn. Sp. Pl. Engl. Bot. t. 1856. 
Has. Middle Island; Milford Sound, Lyall. (A native of England.) 
One of the most common and variable pasture-grasses of Great Britain, also found in the Falkland Islands, 
but not hitherto in Australia. I have not seen it in any New Zealand collection but Dr. Lyall's; it was gathered 
in Milford Sound, but I have no reason to suppose that it has been introduced. —Culms 1-14 foot high, slender, 
perfectly smooth, leafy. Leaves flat, with a rather long sheath and membranous ligula. Panicle effuse, erect, of 
numerous, whorled, very slender thread-like branches, and small, often purplish spikelets. Glumes ciliated at the 
back and tips, sharp, longer than the flower. Lower palea membranous, with four nerves, produced a little beyond 
the truncate tip, and a short awn inserted above the middle; upper very small or wanting. 
2. Agrostis (Trichodium) parviflora, Br.; parvula, tenella, glaberrima, culmis gracilibus ceespitosis, 
foliis planis angustis, panicula effusa capillari rariflora, glumis acuminatis florem excedentibus carina scabris, 
palea inferiore membranacea glaberrima truncata nervis inconspicuis, arista dorsali inclusa v. nulla, superiore 
minima v. 0.—Br. Prodr. 
Var. B. perpusilla ; muscoidea, culmis brevissimis ceespitosis foliosis, foliis confertis setaceis $-uncia- 
libus recurvis, panicula foliis immersa pauciflora, arista 0, palea superiore 0. 
Haz. Northern Island; East Coast, Cook's Straits, etc., Colenso.—Var. 8. Top of the Ruahine 
mountains, Colenso. 
A slender, tufted Grass, 6-8 inches high, (var. 8 not an inch high,) erect or prostrate at the base, quite smooth. 
Culms leafy upwards or only at the base. Leaves very narrow, flat or involute, setaceous in var. 6. Ligula long, 
membranous. Panicle of few lax capillary trichotomous branches, whorled in threes. Spikelets minute. Glumes 
about 4 longer than the flowers; nearly equal, scabrid along the keel. Lower palea quite glabrous, very mem- 
branous, broad, truncate, with faint nerves. Aww when present, as in the specimens from the East Coast, dorsal, 
slender, included, wholly absent in those from Cook’s Straits. Upper palea wanting in my specimens.—This is also a 
native of Tasmania, where it attains a foot high, and the panicles are green or purplish, and where alpine specimens 
growing in exposed places have rigid subulate leaves, and very short culms; it is very nearly allied to the 4. alpina 
of the European Alps, but the awn when present is never basal in this, and the panicle is fewer-flowered. 
3. Agrostis quadriseta, Br.; ceespitosa, culmis vaginisque levibus scaberulisve, foliis planis involutis 
v. setaceis, panicula coarctata cylindracea continua v. lobata rarius interrupta v. subeffusa, glumis acumi- 
natis flore basi sericeo longioribus, palea inferiore levi v. scaberula nervis 4 apice percurrentibus breviter 
4-cuspidata, arista dorsali infra medium v. basin versus inserta inclusa v. glumis 4 longiora, superiore paulo 
breviore bidentata. —A. quadriseta ef A. montana, Br. Prodr. Raoul, Choiw des Plantes. Avena, Lab. 
Fl. Nov. Holl. v. 1. p. 25. t. 32. Bromidium, Vees. 
Has. Northern Island; Auckland, Bay of Islands, ete., Cunningham, ete. 
An extremely variable and very common Grass, presenting no constant characters by which its many forms 
may be always known from one another. —Culms a span to 84 feet high, smooth cr rough, as are the leaves and 
sheaths. Leaves broad or narrow, short or long, smooth or scabrid. Panicle densely spicate, cylindrical and con- 
