Naturalisation in Extra- Tropical Countries. 321 



Panicum spcctabile, Nees.* 



The " Coapim " of Angola. From West- Africa transferred to 

 many other tropical countries. A rather succulent, very fattening 

 grass, famed not only in its native land, but also long since in 

 Brazil. This grass, which was with the help of the great Kew- 

 eBtablishment first obtained by the author for Australia and Poly- 

 nesia, is according to Mr. R. L. Holmes "the wonder of all 

 beholders in Fiji, strangling by its running roots almost everything 

 in its course ; at its original starting point forming a mass of the 

 richest green foliage, over 6 feet high, gradually lowering to the 

 outer border, where a network of shoots or runners covers the 

 ground ; it roots at the joints, and sends up then a mass of the 

 softest and most luscious fodder." In Fiji it runs over the soil at 

 the rate of 10 feet in three months. Readily propagated by pieces 

 of the procumbent stem, which roots freely at each joint. Spoken 

 of also in high praise on account of its astonishing growth by 

 Mr. Edgar, of Rockhampton Botanic Garden, Queensland. Requires 

 to be well fed down. It may be assumed, that at present about 

 300 well-defined species of Panicum are known, chiefly tropical 

 and sub-tropical ; very few extending naturally to Europe or the 

 United States of North-America, Japan or the southern part of 

 Australia. Though mostly from the hot zones, these grasses endure 

 a cooler clime in many instances, and some of them would prove 

 great acquisitions, particularly the perennial species. Numerous 

 good kinds occur spontaneously in Queensland and North- Australia. 

 Panicum is the genus richest in species among grasses. 



Panicum Striatum, Lamarck. (P. gibbum, Elliott.) 



Southern States of North -America, West-Indies and Guiana. A 

 perennial grass for swampy localities, valuable for pastoral par- 

 poses, according to C. Mohr, who mentions also P. anceps (L.) and 

 P. hians (Elliott) as good fodder-grasses. 



Panicum tenuiflorum, E. Brown. (Paspalum brevi^olium, Fluegge.) 



South-Asia and East- Australia. It has a running stem and forms 

 a good bottom as a pasture-grass [Bailey] . 



Panicum Texanum, Buckley. 



Texas. The " Colorado Bottom-grass," also called " Green 

 River-grass." One of the best of forage-grasses for horses, cattle 

 and sheep ; yields a sure crop, and produces 2 to 3 tons per acre 

 [Vasey] . The hay from this grass is of a superior kind ; it can be 

 cut twice in the season [Carrington]. This grass is however 

 annual, but very leafy and becomes decumbent and widely spreading: 



rwth rapid, many stalks proceeding from the same root. Mr. 

 Lea of Texas considers it is the best native grass for hay there, 

 and notes that all kinds of pasture-animals like it preferentially, 

 that the hay from this proved also exceedingly nutritious, and that 



