Australian Grasses. 37 



Panicum effusum, R. Br. (Eeferring to the numerous branches of the 

 compound panicle.) " Branched Panick Grass." An erect perennial, from 

 1 foot to 2 feet high. Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, scabrous and 

 hairy as well as the sheaths, the nodes bearded with long spreading hairs ; 

 ligula very short and ciliate. Panicle much-branched, sessile within the last 

 leaf, 3 to 4 inches long when first in flower, at length twice as long j the 

 filiform, divided branches very spreading and flexuose, the lower ones densely 

 clustered but not verticillate, the upper ones scattered and distant. Spikelets 

 all pedicellate, acute, about 1 line long, glabrous. Outer glume acute, one 

 to three nerved, about half the length of the spikelet or rather more ; second 

 and third glumes nearly equal, five or seven nerved ; a palea within the third 

 about half its length. Fruiting glume smooth and shining. Grain enclosed 

 in the hardened fruiting glume and palea, but free from them. 



This perennial grass is found in all the Australian Colonies, both in the 

 coastal districts and in the far interior, and in many places it is very plentiful. 

 There are two distinct forms of this grass. The typical one is very hairy, and 

 is peculiar to the coastal districts, and has, so far as I am aware, not been 

 found at many stations very far inland. The variety convallium is much less 

 hairy, and is more or less glaucous, and, as far as at presenb known, is found 

 only in the interior. The typical form is not particular as to soil or situation, 

 for it may as often be seen growing on ridges as on the more fertile low 

 lands ; but, of course, in the latter situation it yields a superior herbage. 

 The inland form is generally found growing on rich, chocolate soils. 

 Under ordinary circumstances both these grasses yield a fair amount of rich 

 leafy herbage, of which cattle and sheep are very fond, the latter particularly 

 so. I have seen the typical form of this grass growing 2 feet high in culti- 

 vated fields, and its herbage was much superior to that seen in ordinary 

 pastures, which led me to believe that it could be much improved under 

 cultivation. During ordinary seasons both these grasses grow and produce a 

 quantity of leafy herbage for a considerable time before they develop their 

 flower panicles, which is a decided advantage in any grass, and both are well 

 worth conservation in those parts of the country where they may already be 

 growing, and of dissemination in those parts of the country where they do 

 not already exist. There would be no difficulty in bringing them under 

 systematic cultivation, for, under ordinary circumstances, they yield an 

 abundance of seed. The seed of the variety which is peculiar to the interior 

 ripens in October, November, and December. The seed of the typical form, 

 in the coastal districts, usually ripens one month or two months later. I 

 have seen small areas, from which cattle had been excluded for a time, where 

 any quantity of the seed of this grass might have been collected in a very 

 short time. On two occasions I have had specimens sent to me for identifi- 

 cation that were terribly smitten with fungi. These specimens came from 

 Queanbeyan and near Braid wood, in New South Wales. 



Reference to plate. A, Spikelet opened out, showing tlie four glumes and two paleas. 

 B, Showing the relative size of the outer glume on the spikelet. c, Grain, back and front 

 views. All variously magnified. 



