8 Australian Grasses. 



ANTHISTIRIA, Linn. 



(The Greek name for a species of grass.) 



SPIKELETS one-flowered or empty, seven rarely six in a spike or cluster, four 

 male or barren, either sessile or pedicellate in a whorl at the base of the 

 hairy rhachis ; two or sometimes one pedicellate and male or barren on the 

 top of the rhachis, with an intermediate sessile fertile one. Glumes in the 

 barren spikelets usually two, the outer one several-nerved, the inner thin 

 and hyaline, in the male spikelets usually a third smaller hyaline one ; in 

 the fertile spikelet glumes four, the two outer ones nearly equal, usually 

 rigid and coriaceous, the outer one obscurely five or seven nerved, the second 

 with two prominent nerves, the central one very faint ; third glume much 

 smaller, very thin and hyaline ; fourth very narrow and thin at the base, 

 thickened into a long twisted awn usually bent above the middle. Palea 

 very small and hyaline, sometimes scarcely conspicuous. Styles distinct. 

 Grain free, enclosed in the hardened outer glumes. Erect, leafy, branching 

 grasses, the spikes or clusters singly pedunculate within sheathing bracts, or 

 sessile in the bracts, and collected many together in compound clusters 

 forming short almost cyme-like leafy panicles. 



Anthistiria avenacea, F. v. M. (Resembling an Oat.) "Tall Oat 

 Grass." Stems from a more or less silky -hairy, or woolly base, 2 tcr 5 

 feet high. Leaves very narrow, glabrous.. Sheathing bracts narrow, mem- 

 braneous, glabrous, 1 inch to 2 inches long. Spikes or clusters all on rather 

 long, slender, glabrous, or ciliate penduncles within the last bract. Barren 

 spikelets either reduced to a single several-nerved rigid glume, with a small 

 hyaline one inside, or more developed, enclosing a male flower, the four in- 

 volucral ones sessile. Fertile spikelets about four lines long, the rigid outer 

 glumes, especially the lowest, densely villous with brown hairs. Awn long 

 and rigid as in AntJiistiria ciliata and A. frondosa. 



This perennial grass is found all over Australia, from the coastal districts 

 to the far interior, but principally in the latter portion of the continent. It 

 is only found on the richest of soils, and often in a good season may be seen 

 growings feet high. Between Nyngan and Bourke I once saw the "tall 

 oat grass" growing higher than the railway fences. It mostly grows in 

 tussocks, and produces a quantity of leafy herbage at the base, which, when 

 young, cattle are remarkably fond of, and fatten on. During the early 

 summer months, in an ordinary season, its herbage appears to be more 

 nutritious and succulent than at any other time. After the flower stems 

 have developed, however, they soon become hard and cane-like ; and when this 

 takes place, if other grasses are plentiful, cattle will leave the plant for more 

 tender herbage. Mr. Bailey says : " This is one of the best fodder grasses of 

 Australia." It will withstand a phenomenal amount of dry weather, but this 

 may be accounted for by the fact that its strong roots penetrate the earth to 

 a great depth, and thus get away from the drying influences of the sun's rays. 



