52 Australian Grasses. 



Sporobolus indicus, B. Br. (Indian.) " Parramatta" or " Tussock Grass." 

 An erect tufted grass of 1 foot to 2 feet, glabrous except a few cilia at the 

 base of the leaves. Leaves chiefly at the base of the stem, narrow, ending 

 in fine points, the upper ones few with long sheaths. Spike-like panicle 

 very narrow, 3 to 8 inches, or even longer, continuous throughout, or when 

 long often much interrupted. Spikelets very numerous, crowded along the 

 very short, erect, almost imbricate or distant branches. Outer glumes 

 almost hyaline, obtuse, one-nerved, the lowest about j a line, the second 

 line long ; flowering glume about 1 line, of a firmer consistence, broad, but 

 almost tapering to a point, one-nerved (the whole spikelet rather smaller in 

 some specimens). Palea nearly as long, faintly two-nerved. Grain broadly 

 obovoid, the very thin pericarp sometimes appearing loose, though often 

 evanescent or undistiuguishable in the dried state. 



An erect-growing, tussocky grass, sometimes attaining a height of 2^ feet, 

 and found in all the Australian Colonies from the coastal districts to the 

 far interior, and in some situations very plentifully. In fact, in some places, 

 where land has been broken up and sown with exotic grasses, this species is 

 now master of the situation, much to the disgust of dairy farmers. Whilst 

 in a young state it affords capital feed, but when old the herbage is very 

 tough and harsh, so much so that it will loosen the teeth of horses and 

 cows when kept too long in pastures where this grass predominates. Owing 

 to the tough nature of the tussock grass, I have often recommended it for 

 paper-making. If it should prove valuable for this purpose there is plenty 

 of material in Australia to fall back upon. The Sporobolus is a prolific seed 

 bearer, and the seeds are eaten by many small birds. They ripen at various 

 times of the year, but principally in the summer and autumn months. There 

 is a variety (var. elongatus) of this grass with narrower leaves, and a longer 

 and looser panicle. With these exceptions, however, its qualities are much 

 the same. 



During certain seasons the inflorescence of both these grasses is badly 

 affected with a black mould-like growth. This is a fungus known to botanists 

 Selminthosporium ravcnelii, curtis. 



Reference to plate. A. A portion of panicle, showing the arrangement of spikelets on the 

 rhachis. B, Spikelefc the caryopsis being ejected, c, Showing the relative size of the 

 outer glume on the spikelet. D, Two different views of the grain. All variously magnified 



