34 Census of the Grasses of New South Wales. 



PANTCUM PABVIFLOBUM, E. Br. 



" Small-flowered panick grass." 



A slender glabrous perennial grass, growing from 1 foot to 3 feet high, and 

 generally found in the coastal districts, and in some places it is fairly 

 plentiful. In sheltered situations it will grow all the year round, but during 

 the summer months it yields a quantity of rich succulent herbage, which is- 

 greedily eaten by all herbivora. This grass will remain green during a long 

 spell or dry weather, and can be highly recommended as a permanent pasture 

 grass, or for making into hay. It produces an abundance of seed, which 

 ripens in December and January. There is a variety (var, pilosa) of this grass 

 but with the exception of being hairy it has all the characteristics of the 

 species. 



PANICUM PBOLUTUM, F.v.M. 

 " Rigid panick grass." 



An erect, rather rigid, perennial species, growing from 1 foot to 2-| feet high,, 

 and principally found in the interior, where, however, it is moderately 

 plentiful in some situations. It generally grows on good land that is liable 

 to periodical inundations, and as it makes most of its growth during the 

 summer months, it is a valuable stand-by for stock, when many other grasses 

 are somewhat scarce. It is a valuable grass for withstanding a long spell of 

 dry weather, and, under ordinary circumstances, will retain its greenness far 

 into the autumn months. It is not a good grass to make hay of, as its stems 

 and leaves are too rigid. Before the aborigines tasted the sweets of civilisa- 

 tion, they used to collect the seeds of this grass in large quantities, and use 

 them as an article of food, after being ground between two stones and con- 

 verted into a kind of meal. This grass produces an abundance of seed 

 which ripens at various times of the year. 



PANICUM PYGM^UM, B. Br. 



" Pigmy panick grass." 



R r A small hairy creeping perennial grass, principally found in shady places- 

 in the coastal districts. It is of no value as a forage grass, for stock seldom 

 or never touch it ; but it is useful for covering ground under the shade of 

 trees. It forms a beautiful green sward in a short time, and might be 

 utilised in gardens for covering shady places where scarcely anything else 

 would grow. It can easily be propagated by division of its stems, and also 

 from seed, which it bears in fair quantities. The seeds ripen, during the 

 autumn months. 



PANICUM EEPENS, Linn. 

 " Creeping panick grass." 



A perennial species, with a creeping and rooting base, from which stems 

 rise to 2^ feet high. It is rather a rare grass in New South "Wales, and I 

 have found it only on the Murrumbidgee Biver. It delights to grow in a 

 moist rich soil, and it is worth disseminating on the banks of rivers, dams, 

 &c, which its strong roots would help to bind, and protect against the fury 

 of flood waters. It is a rather stiff growing grass, and stock only eat it when 

 other herbage becomes -scarce. It is a good seed-bearing grass. The seeds 

 ripen in January and February. This grass can be propagated by division 

 of its roots. 



