316 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Panicum decompositum, E. Brown. (P. Icevinode, Lindley.)* 



The Australian Millet. One of the most spacious of Australian 

 nutritious grasses. The aborigines convert the small millet-like 

 grains into cakes. It is the only grain stored by the nomads of 

 Central Australia. This grass will thrive on poor soil with 

 Eleusine cruciata (Lam.), coming to maturity after rains in one 

 month in the torrid regions of Central Australia [Rev. H. Kempe]. 

 Hardly different from the North- American P. capillare, L., except 

 in perennial roots. The allied P. trachyrrhachis (Bentham) from 

 North- and East- Australia also constitutes a very good pasture- 

 grass. Of similar value the exclusively Australian P. effusum, 

 JR. Br. They are among the few nutritious grasses fit for hot and 

 arid desert-tracts. Known to have grown after summer rains, 

 within 5 weeks, to 3 feet into flowering. 



Panicum distichum, Lamarck. (P. pilosum, Swartz). 



Tropical Asia, Africa and America, Polynesia. This perennial 

 grass is mentioned by Kurz among those yielding grain for human 

 food in India. 



Panicum divaricatissimum, E. Brown. 



Australia, particularly in the warmer inland-regions. A good 

 perennial grass, of easy growth on poor soil. 



Panicum divaricatum. Linne. (P. bambuosides, Hamilton.) 



Central and Southern America. A grass of scandent habit, 

 ascending high up in trees ; desirable for naturalisation in forests. 



Panicum enneaneurum, Grisebach. 



La Plata-States. Prof. Hieronymus mentions this along with 

 P. grumosum (N~ees), P. laxum (Swartz), P. obloiigatum (Grise 

 bach) and P. rivulare (Trinius) as rendering the Pampas-pastures 

 so nutritive. 



Panicum flavidum, 



Southern Asia, tropical and Eastern sub-tropical Australia. A 

 prolific seed-bearer, often prostrated by the weight of the seeds. 



Panicum Sultans, Eetzius. 



Tropical Asia and Africa. This perennial grass, like P. spinescens 

 (R. Brown) of East-Australia, ought to be naturalised along lakes, 

 lagoons and rivers, particularly for the benefit of waterfowl. 



Panicum ioliosum. E. Brown. 



India, East- Australia. Perennial. Mr. Bailey finds this to be 

 one of the best grasses for river-banks. Refer for further informa- 

 tion on this and other Q.L. grasses to his and Staiger's illustrated 

 monography. 



