Australian Grasses. 17 



Chloris truncata, E. Br. (Keferring to tlie abrupt termination of the 



flumes.) " Star" or " Windmill Grass." A glabrous erect grass of 1 foot to 3 

 eet. Leaves usually flat, but narrow, with flattened sheaths. Spikes, 

 six to ten, slender, 3 to 6 inches long, at length horizontally spreading. 

 Spikelets numerous, but not crowded, cuneate, 1 line to 1| lines long, without 

 the awns. Lowest outer glume very small, almost setaceous, the second 

 narrow and fine-pointed, about as long as the spikelet. Flowering glumes 

 oblong, obtuse, keeled, slightly ciliate, with a fine awn of 3 to 6 lines. Ter- 

 minal empty glume much shorter and broader, raised to the level of the 

 flowering glume and flat-topped, giving the spikelet its cuneate truncate 

 form. 



This perennial grass is found in South Australia, Victoria, ]N"ew South 

 Wales, and Queensland, and in some situations it is fairly plentiful. It is 

 generally found growing on the richest of soils, both in the coastal districts 

 and in the arid interior. As might be supposed, a grass growing under such 

 varied conditions of soil and climate is very variable as regards its height and 

 the size of its inflorescence. In some situations it grows 3 feet high, with 

 the inflorescence a foot across. In other situations it grows only from 6 

 inches to a foot high, with the inflorescence only 4 inches across. The latter 

 form is generally found in the interior. In all its varied forms, however, it 

 yields a rich succulent herbage, which is much relished by all herbivora, 

 sheep being particularly fond of it. On loose soils this grass tillers well. I 

 have had this species under experimental cultivation for several consecutive 

 years, and the quantity of rich succulent herbage it yielded was enormous. 

 When cut just as the flower-spikes appeared it made excellent hay. I can 

 highly recommend this grass for permanent pasture, or to be grown and 

 made into hay. It is well worth conservation in those parts of the country 

 where it is already growing, and redissemination in those parts where it may 

 have become scarce through overstocking. When the "star grass" is allowed 

 to grow undisturbed for a time it produces an abundance of seed. From a 

 small reserved area, or within the railway enclosures, as much ripe seed could 

 be collected in a few hours as would suffice for sowing large areas. The 

 .seeds usually ripen in October and November in the interior; in the coastal 

 districts one month or two months later, though occasionally in autumn. I 

 have sown the seeds of this grass in spring-time with excellent results, but, 

 generally speaking, I prefer sowing them in the early autumn months say 

 March or April, when there is moisture in the soil. Seeds sown at that 

 time of the year usually germinate readily, and the young plants becoming 

 well established in the soil are better "able to withstand the succeeding 

 summer, should it prove a dry one, than plants raised from seed sown in the 

 spring-time. 



Reference io plate. A, Spikelet. E, Flowering glume, and the pedicellate terminal 

 empty one. c, Flowering glume and palea. i>, Grain, back and front views. All variously 

 magnified. 



