36 Australian Grasses. 



Panicum decompositum, E. Br. (Kef erring to the much-divided 

 panicle.) " Australian Millet." A semi-aquatic glabrous grass, often tall 

 and stout. Leaves mostly long, flat, and rather broad, especially when grow- 

 ing in water, narrow in drier situations ; ligula very short and broad, 

 ciliate. Panicle 6 inches to 1 foot long, or even more, with numerous 

 crowded filiform divided branches, the lower ones clustered, at first erect 

 and enclosed at the base within the last leaf sheaf; at length sometimes very 

 loose and spreading to the breadth of 1 foot. Spikelets all on slender 

 pedicels, narrow, acute, IT to 1| lines long ; usually of a pale straw colour. 

 Outer glume very short, broad and truncate, thin and nerveless ; second 

 and third glumes nearly equal, acute, thinly membranous, five or seven 

 nerved, the third with a palea from a quarter to one-third its length, but no 

 stamens. Fruiting glume very smooth and shining. Grain enclosed in the 

 hardened fruiting glume and palea, but free from them. 



This valuable grass is found all over Australia from the coastal districts to 

 the far interior, and in some places it is very plentiful. It was collected by 

 the Elder Exploring Expedition in Central Australia. In moist places and 

 by the side of watercourses, I have seen this grass growing 4 feet high ; on 

 the plains, however, it rarely exceeds 2 feet in height. In all its varied 

 forms it yields most valuable herbage which stock of all kinds are remarka- 

 bly fond of, and fatten on. I have had the " Australian millet " under 

 experimental cultivation for several years, and the amount of herbage 

 it yielded in a few months was really astonishing. The hay that was made 

 from it was equal to three tons per acre. I can highly recommend it for 

 systematic cultivation either in the eastern or central portion of the con- 

 tinent. When allowed to grow undisturbed for a time it produces a great 

 amount of seed, so that there would be no difficulty in collecting any 

 quantity either for systematic cultivation or for re-dissemination in those 

 parts of the country where it may have become scarce through overstocking. 

 The seeds usually ripen during the summer and autumn months. At one 

 time the aborigines used to collect the seeds in great quantities, grind them 

 between stones, make them into cakes, and use them as an article of food. Sir 

 Thomas Mitchell (" Three Expeditions," vol. I. pp. 237 and 290), alluding 

 to this grass, says : " In the neighbourhood of our camp the grass had been 

 pulled up to a very great extent and piled in hay-ricks, so that the aspect of 

 the desert was softened into the agreeable semblance of a hay-field. The 

 grass had evidently been thus laid up by the natives, but for what purpose 

 we could not imagine. At first I thought the heaps were only the remains 

 of encampments, as the aborigines sometimes sleep on a little dry grass ; but 

 when we found the ricks, or hay-cocks, extending for miles, we were quite 

 at a loss to understand why they had been made. All the grass was of one 

 kind, and not a spike of it was left in the soil over the whole ground. * * : 

 We were still at a "loss to know for what purpose the heaps of one particular 

 kind of grass had been pulled, and so laid up hereabouts. Whether it was 

 accumulated by the natives to allure birds, or by rats (as their holes were 

 seen beneath), we were puzzled to determine. The grass was beautifully 

 green beneath the heaps and full of seeds, and our cattle were very fond of 

 this hay." 



Reference to plate. A, Showing the relative size of the outer glume to the spikelet. B, A 

 spikelet opened out, showing the position of the four glumes and two paleas. C. Grain, 

 back and front views. All variously magnified. 



