50 Australian Grasses. 



it grows more or less all the year round, and during an ordinary season 

 will yield a bulk of valuable herbage which the larger herbivora eat with 

 avidity. This grass grows too strong in the warmer parts of the continent 

 to be classed as a valuable sheep-grass, although in the colder parts, where 

 it does not grow so strong, sheep eat it readily enough and thrive on it. 

 In those parts of the country where it may have been eaten out through 

 over-stocking, it is well worth redissemination, and in places where it may 

 not be growing in abundance it is worth conservation. There would be no 

 difficulty in bringing this grass under systematic cultivation, for if allowed 

 to grow undisturbed for a time it matures a great amount of seed, which 

 ripens during the summer and autumn months. I should think, judging by 

 the enormous amount of valuable herbage this grass will yield during an 

 ordinary season, it would pay to cultivate for ensilage at any rate, it is 

 worth a trial. 



Reference to plate. A, The sessile fertile spikelet between two pedicellate, male or 

 barren ones. B, A sessile fertile spikelet and a pedicellate, male or barren one. c, Fertile 

 spikelet opened out, showing the three glumes and terminal awn. D, Grain, back and 

 front views. All variously magnified. 



