AUSTRALIAN GRASSES 



ALOPECURUS, Linn. 



(From two Greek words signifying " a fox " and " a tail.") 



SPIKELETS one-flowered, flat, densely crowded into a cylindrical spike or 

 spike-like panicle. Glumes three, two outer complicate, keeled, acute but 

 not awned ; third under the flower shorter, keeled, with a short slender 

 dorsal awn. No two-nerved palea or lodicules. Stamens three. Styles 

 distinct. Grain enclosed in the scarcely hardened glumes 1 , but free from 

 them. 



Alopecurus geniculatus, Linn. (Kef erring to the bent stems.) "Knee- 

 jointed Foxtail," "Water Foxtail Grass." A perennial or sometimes annual 

 only, glabrous except the spike. Stems usually procumbent at the base, 

 bending upwards at the lower node?, sometimes only 3 or 4 inches, often 

 1 foot high or more. Leaves narrow, the upper sheaths broad and loose. 

 Spike 1 inch to 2 inches long, closely imbricate but slender. Outer glumes 

 hairy on. the keel, scarcely pointed, usually but little more than 1 line long, 

 free or scarcel} 7 ' united at the base, the hair-like awn of the flowering glume 

 not projecting above 1 line beyond them. No palea or lodicules. Grain 

 enclosed in the scarcely hardened glumes, but free from them. 



This annual, though in moist places sometimes perennial, grass is found in 

 all the Australian Colonies, and is common also in the temperate regions of 

 the northern hemisphere. It is found principally in the interior, and 

 generally growing very plentifully around shallow pools of water. In the 

 most favoured situations its stems will sometimes grow 3 feet high. It is 

 essentially a winter and early spring growing grass, so on this account it 

 proves serviceable during the lambing season, when succulent herbage is 

 often scarce, for at that time of the year many of the superior pasture grasses 

 have not started into growth. The "knee-jointed foxtail" is not considered a 

 valuable grass as regards its nutritive qualities, although all herbivora seem 

 very fond of it, and eat it down close to the ground. In the " Hortus 

 G-ramineus Woburnensis," Mr. Sinclair states " that the produce of this grass 

 per acre was 6,806 lb. 3 which, when dry, amounted to 2,892 lb., and, on 

 analysis, yielded, of nutrient matter, 292 lb." It will therefore be seen from 

 these figures that the grass does not yield a very large amount of herbage 

 in comparison with many other kinds of grasses. "Where this species grows 

 naturally, and is in danger of being eaten, out, it is worthy of conservation 

 for the reasons stated above ; but I would not recommend it for cultivation, 

 as I do not think it would give adequate returns for such outlay, more 

 especially as we have such a number of valuable species that would well 

 repay systematic cultivation. The " knee-jointed foxtail grass " yields a fair 

 amount of seed, which usually ripens in September and October. 



Reference to plate. A, Showing the arrangement of the spikelets on the rhaehis. B, A 

 spikelet opened out, showing the three glumes, c, Flowering glume. D, Grain, side and 

 end views. All variously magnified. 



