Australian Grasses. 49 



SORGHUM, Pers. 



(Said to be from Sorglii^ the Indian name.) 



FERTILE spikelet one-flowered, sessile between two pedicellate male or 

 barren ones, at the end of the simple or divided branches of a terminal 

 panicle, with one to five pairs or triplets of spikelets below the terminal 

 three. Glumes on the fertile spikelets four, the outer one the largest, 

 awnless, lanceolate or broad, hard and shining, obscurely nerved ; second 

 glume rather hard, keeled, and acute ; third glume shorter, very thin and 

 hyaline ; fourth or terminal glume very thin, hyaline and two-lobed at the 

 base, with an awn between the lobes, twisted in the lower half, bent above 

 the middle, as in Andropogon. Palea very small or none. Styles distinct. 

 Grain enclosed in the hard and shining outer glumes, free from them. 



Sorghum plumosum, Heauv. (Eeferring to the feather-like panicle.) 

 " Wild Sorghum." Stems erect, varying from 4 to 5 feet ; the nodes 

 bearded with a dense tuft of hairs, and the leaves long and narrow. Panicle 

 from 3 to 4 or more inches long, loose and branched ; the smaller 

 branches, pedicels, and spikelets more or less villous, with hairs usually 

 rufous, besides the dense tuft at the base of the sessile spikelets. Spikelets 

 varying from 2f- to 4 lines long, lanceolate, but not very flat, and usually 

 narrow. Outer glume at first several- nerved, at length rigid, shining, 

 and apparently nerveless, except two ciliate nerves near the top, often 

 turning almost black when ripe. Awn often short and capillary , but some- 

 times 2 inches long. Palea very small or none. Styles distinct. Ovary 

 flabrous. Grain enclosed in the hard and shining outer glumes, but free 

 rom them. I am inclined to think that Sprengel's name, Andropogon 

 australis (Syst. I, 287), is a more appropriate one for this grass than 

 Eeauvois' name, Sorghum plumosum. I have retained the latter, however, 

 which is in keeping with the nomenclature used in the Flora Australiensis. 

 The terminal fertile sessile spikelet between two pedicellate, male or barren 

 ones (a characteristic of the genus Sorghum), is not constant. In fact, in 

 many specimens that I have examined only one pedicellate spikelet, above 

 the fertile sessile one, was present, which is a characteristic of the genus 

 Andropogon. 



This perennial grass is found in all the eastern colonies, and also in North 

 Australia, and in some districts is very plentiful, especially on the coastal 

 lands and in the colder parts of these colonies. In the New England 

 district the " wild sorghum," when in flower, is quite a feature in the pastures, 

 and is described as a valuable grass. Horses are said to eat the seeds with 

 avidity, and to thrive on them. In the colder parts of Australia it is essen- 

 tially a summer-growing species, for, generally speaking, it does not start 

 into growth before September or October. In the warmer parts, however, 



