26 Australian Grasses. 



Eragrostis pilosa, Beauv. (From the hairs at the base of the branches 

 o the panicle, which are not observable in the Australian grass. " Weeping 

 Grass." " Love Grass." A tufted erect or ascending annual, 1 foot to near 

 2 feet high. Leaves narrow, usually flat. Panicle inches to 1 foot long, 

 narrow at first, spreading when in fruit, with numerous long capillary divided 

 branches. Spikelets 2 to 4 lines long, narrow-linear, usually of a dark- 

 leaden colour, but pale when old, loosely six to twenty flowered; the rhachis 

 scarcely articulate. Glumes thin, distinctly keeled, the lateral nerves faint and 

 short. Palea nearly as long, slightly ciliate on the keels, often persistent 

 after the glumes have fallen away. Grain ovoid-oblong, smooth. 



Mr. Bentham says, " This species is common in the warmer and some 

 temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, chiefly in the old world. The 

 hairs at the base of the branches of the panicle, which originally gave rise to 

 the specific name, are not observable in any of the Australian specimens, and 

 not constant in European ones." This annual grass is found in all the 

 Australian colonies, both in the coastal districts and in the arid interior. 

 On rich soils in a good season I have occasionally seen it 3 feet high. It 

 generally starts into growth about the end of September, and if the season is 

 a fairly moist one it will continue growing till March or April, when it 

 gradually dies away. If, however, the season is a dry one, it may die out by 

 the end of December, but will grow again from the ripened seed if rain 

 should fall in January, and yield a fair amount of herbage during the late 

 summer months. It is not particular as to soil or situation, as it may 

 frequently be seen growing both on stony ridges and on rich meadow land. 

 On good soils, however, it is a most prolific grass, and during the summer 

 months affords a large amount of rich succulent herbage, which is much 

 relished by stock of all kinds. On poor soils it takes very little root hold, 

 and when being browsed upon is easily pulled up by the roots. I have had 

 this grass under experimental cultivation, and it gave an enormous yield, 

 and on being cut, when the flower stems first appeared, it made very good 

 hay. I can recommend this grass to be grown for hay, for it not only gives 

 a quick but, 011 good soils, a heavy return. There would be no difficulty in 

 bringing it under systematic cultivation, for, under ordinary circumstances, 

 it perfects a great amount of seed, which can be collected at almost any time 

 during the summer and autumn months. An allied grass, the Teff of 

 Abyssinia, is extensively cultivated for the sake of its grain, which furnishes 

 food in the form of bread, to a great portion of the population of Abyssinia. 

 On comparing the seeds of these two grasses I find that the Teff: seeds are 

 the larger, but the Australian grass would, no doubt, develop seeds quite as 

 large after a few years of cultivation and selection, and as the grain separates 

 very easily from the chaff I think I feel justified in classifying it with other 

 Australian grasses, which I have already suggested, might be cultivated for 

 the grain they yield. 



Reference to plate. A, Spikelet ; B, Floret ; c, Grain, front and side views. All variously 

 magnified. 



