XVI INTRODUCTION. 



GBASSES TO CULTIVATE FOE 



It is a most remarkable fact that the native countries of wheat, oats, and 

 barley, should be entirely unknown. Many eminent botanists are of opinion 

 that all our cereals are artificial productions, obtained accidentally, but 

 retaining their habits, which have become fixed in the long course of ages, 

 and the following observations seem to bear out this theory. It has been 

 observed that when oats are grown on poor land and shed their grain, the 

 progeny will, if left uncultivated for a generation or two, revert to the wild 

 form, but that cultivation will bring the grain back to its proper standard. 

 JEgilops ovata, "Willd., (of which I have cultivated specimens of three 

 generations in my herbarium, two of w r hich show a marked tendency towards 

 improvement,) is said to be the origin of all our cultivated wheats, and as a 

 convincing proof of this it is remarkable that this genus of grass is subject to 

 the attacks of the same species of parasitic fungi which affect the wheat 

 crops of the present day, and render them somewhat precarious in some 

 districts during certain seasons. 



"When these plants can be so changed with cultivation as to afford us 

 useful grain, it seems a most feasible thing that out of 360 species of grasses 

 found on this continent, some could be cultivated that would yield good grain 

 without its attendant drawbacks, in the way of parasitic fungi, especially in 

 some parts of Australia where wheat and other cultivated cereals are often a 

 precarious crop. During the experiments already referred to, I observed 

 that the grains of some of the native grasses developed very much under 

 cultivation, more especially in the case of one species, Astrebla triticoides, 

 F.v.M., var. lappacea, (Danthonia lappacea of Lindley) . This grass produced 

 ears nearly 6 inches long, well filled with a clean-looking, firm grain, 

 which separated easily from the chaff, somewhat like wheat. During long 

 observation I have never seen any species of parasitic fungi attack either the 

 straw or grain of this grass, nor from enquiries made have I ever heard that 

 it is affected with fungoid growth. All our common cereals are of 

 annual growth, but this species is perennial, and attains a height of about 3 

 feet. It has a stout clean straw which would, after the grain was thrashed 

 out, make good fodder. Other native grasses that might be cultivated for 

 grain are : Antliistiria avenacea, F.v.M., " Tall oat grass " ; Leersia 

 hexandra, Swartz., " Native rice grass;" Eragrostispilosa, Beauv., "Weeping- 

 grass"; Panicum decompositum, E.Br. "Australian-millet"; Panicum 

 flavidum Eetz., " Warrego summer grass," Panicum sernialatum, E.Br., 

 " Cockatoo grass" ; Panicum tracfy/rhachis,i$en.tli., " Coolibar grass"; Setaria 

 ylauca Beauv., " Pigeon grass " ; and Setaria macrostacJiya, H.B. et. K., 

 " Large-headed millet." 



The following species are the most suitable for growing on wet or 

 undrained lands: Antliraxon ciliare, Palis, "Swamp grass"; Diplaclme 

 fusca, Beauv., " Brown-flowered swamp grass " ; Elionurus cifreus, Munro, 

 "Lemon scented grass"; G-fyceria fluitans, E.Br., "Manna grass"; 

 Glyceria fordeana, F.v.M., "Sweet grass"; Glyceria ramigera, F.v.M., 

 " Cane grass" ; Hemarthria compressa, E.Br., '" Mat grass" j Imperata 

 arundinacea, Cyr,, " Blady grass" ; Isachne australis, E.Br., " Swamp 

 millet"; Ischamum attstrale, E.Br., "Southern grass"; Leersia hexandra, 

 Swartz., " Native rice grass" ; Leptocliloa chinensis, Nees, " Weeping grass"; 

 Lcptochloa subdigitata, Trin., " Finger grass" ; Panicum indicum, Linn., 

 " Indian panick grass"; Panicum melananthum,H?.'vMi., " Black-seeded panick 

 grass"; Paspalum distichum,~Lmu., " Watercouch"; P asp alum scroliculatum, 

 Linn., " Ditch millet" ; Pennisetum compressum, E.Br., " Swamp foxtail 

 grass" ; Phragmites communis, Trin,, " Common reed" ; Pollinia fulva, 



