Australian Grasses. 23 



DIPLACHNE, Eeauv. 



(Beferring to the two-lobed flowering glume.) 



SPIKELETS several, often many-flowered, linear, sessile or very shortly pedicel- 

 late, but distant along the rhachis of a simple spike, or of the elongated branches 

 of a simple panicle, the rhachis of the spikelet articulate and usually hairy 

 under the flowering glumes. Outer empty glumes keeled, acute, nnawned ; 

 flowering glumes with a hyaline shortly two-lobed apex, the keel produced 

 into a short point or awn between or shortly below the lobes. Palea thin, 

 prominently two-nerved. Styles short, distinct. Grain smooth, free. 



Diplachne fusca, ~Beauv. (Referring to the spikelets having a brownish 

 tinge.) " Brown Flowered Swamp Grass." A glabrous erect grass of several 

 feet. Leaves narrow, convolute when dry, with long loose sheaths; 

 the ligula jagged. Panicle narrow, (j inches to 1 foot long, with erect 

 branches, the lower ones long. Spikelets sessile, or nearly so, rather distant, 

 erect, linear, six to ten flowered, about 4 lines long, or rather more, and straw 

 coloured, or longer and dark, the rhachis glabrous, or slightly hairy under 

 each glume. Flowering glumes nearly 2 lines long, shortly ciliate on the 

 margins in the lower part, prominently three-nerved, the keel produced 

 into a short point between or just below the short hyaline terminal lobes. 

 Keels of the palea shortly ciliate. Grain smooth and free. 



This annual (?) grass is found in all the Australian colonies, also In Asia 

 and Africa. In the coastal districts of this country it is generally found 

 growing in, or about brackish swamps ; in the interior, in shallow pools of 

 water, or in damp situations, and in some places it is fairly plentiful, 

 During the summer mouths, and under ordinary circumstances, it yields a 

 great amount of rich succulent herbage, of which cattle are particularly fond. 

 This grass is worth disseminating on swampy land, where it may not already 

 be growing, and where very few other grasses that are so nutritious would 

 grow. G-rasses that will grow in such situations are a valuable stand-by for 

 stock during drought time, when the surrounding country is dried up, and 

 almost destitute of tender herbage. It is at such times that many of the 

 grasses, which are overlooked when herbage is plentiful on the plains, play a 

 most important part in the economy of nature, and are the means by which 

 many animals are saved from dying of starvation during adverse seasons. I 

 have no doubt that this grass would pay to cultivate on low-lying w T aste lands. 

 From its succulent stems and leaves it should not only make good hay, but 

 also good ensilage. At any rate, it is worth a trial. There would be no diffi- 

 culty in bringing this species under systematic cultivation, for if it is allowed 

 to grow undisturbed for a time it produces a great amount of seed. From a 

 small reserved area a few boys could collect enough seed in a few hours to 

 sow several acres. On swampy land in the interior the seeds usually ripen 

 during January, February, and March ; in the coastal districts about one 

 month later ; but in drier places they generally ripen in November and 

 December. 



Reference to plate. k, Spikelet. B, Floret, c, Grain, back and front views. All variously 

 magnified. 



