Census of the Grasses of New South Wales. 35 



PANICUM BEVEBSUM, F.v.M. 



" Beversed panick grass." 



A perennial grass, with many-branched but weak stems, and long narrow 

 glaucous leaves. It is found only in the arid interior, but nowhere plenti- 

 fully. "Where it does occur, however, stock will browse upon it. This 

 grass produces very little seed: what there is ripens in November and 

 December. 



PAKICUM SANGUINALE, Linn. 

 "Summer grass." 



An annual species, which is common all over the eastern portion of the 

 Colony. It is a creeping quick-growing grass, and a great pest in cultivated 

 ground to farmers, orchardists, and gardeners. It will grow in almost any 

 kind of soil, and in any situation, provided it is not too cold, This grass 

 produces a great amount of forage in an incredible' short space of time, and 

 being of a succulent nature, is relished by all pasture animals. In America 

 this grass is highly spoken of, and it is said that horses are so fond of the 

 hay made from it that they leave all other fodder for it. This grass produces 

 an abundance of seed, which ripens in January, February, and March. It 

 is said that Linnaeus gave the specific name " Sanguinale," from a trick that 

 the boys had in Germany of pricking one another's noses with the spikes of 

 this grass until they bled. 



The Hortus Gramineus Wobwrnensis says of this grass : " It produces 

 much seed, of which birds are very fond, and requires to be protected by 

 nets, or otherwise, during the time of ripening. The smaller birds pick out 

 the ripe seed, even when only a small quantity is formed among the 

 blossoms. The common method of collecting it and preparing it in Germany 

 is as follows : At sunrise the grass is gathered or beaten into a hair sieve 

 from the dewy grass, spread on a sheet, and dried for a fortnight in the 

 sun ; it is then gently beaten with a wooden pestle in a wooden trough or 

 mortar, with straw laid between the seeds and the pestle till the chaff 

 comes off ; they are then winnowed. After this they are again put into a 

 trough or mortar in rows, with dried marigold flowers, apple, and hazel 

 leaves, and pounded till they appear bright; they are then winnowed 

 again, and being made perfectly clean by this last process are fit for use. 

 The marigold leaves are added to give the seed a finer colour. A bushel 

 of seed with the chaff yields only about two quarts of clean seed. When 

 boiled with milk and wine it forms an extremely palatable ^ food, and is in 

 general made use of whole in the manner of sago, to which it is in most 

 instances preferred." 



PA1STICUM SEMIALATUM, B. Br. 



" Cockatoo grass." 



An erect perennial grass, growing from 2 to 3 or more feet high, which is 

 found both in the north-eastern and north-western districts, but nowhere very 

 plentifully as far as I have been able to make out. It is a valuable drought- 

 resisting grass, and an excellent one for pasture. During the summer 

 months this grass yields a large amount of leafy forage which stock are fond 

 of. In the autumn months, when it is ripening its seeds, the stems Become 

 hard and cane like ; then stock seldom or never touch it. This grass is worth 

 disseminating in our coastal districts, for once it gets fairly established in 

 the soil it takes a lot of dry weather to kill it. It will grow in almost any 

 kind of soil, but on good pasture land it would yield an enormous amount of 



