49 



Botanical notes. Var. convallium, less hairy, and more or less 

 glaucous. 



Value as a fodder. A useful grass, which has very extended geo- 

 graphical range, valuable alike in the coast country and in the dry 

 interior. It is an excellent grass, nutritious, and palatable. Speak- 

 ing of a test at the Wollongbar Farm, Mr. McKeown reports : " It is 

 too light for pasture, being easily destroyed by stock." 



Habitat and range. Found in all the colonies, except Tasmania. 

 In this Colony, from the Coast districts to the dry interior. 



51. Panicum Mitchell!, Benth. 



Botanical name. Mitchelli, in honor of Major (afterwards Lieut.- 

 Colonel Sir Thomas) Mitchell, an explorer, and for many years 

 Surveyor-General of the Colony, who collected the grass on one of his 

 journeys. 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 489). An erect grass, decumbent 

 at the base only, 2 or 3 feet high ; nearly allied to P. efusum, but 

 larger ; quite glabrous, and the nodes not bearded. 

 Leaves often long. 



Short ligula rather jagged than ciliate. 

 Panicle usually very large and spreading, with very numerous divided filiform 



branches, the lower ones clustered and rigid, the upper ones scattered. 

 Spikelets all pedicellate, usually several along the ultimate branches, rather above 1 



line long, acutely acuminate, quite glabrous. 



Outer glume acute, nearly half the length of the spikelet, one to three-nerved. 

 Second and third glumes nearly equal, acutely acuminate, about five-nerved. 

 Palea in the third sometimes very small, more frequently above half the glume. 

 Fruiting glume smooth and shining. 



Value as a fodder. An even more valuable grass than the pre- 

 ceding, to which it is closely allied. 



Habitat and range. In all the colonies, except Tasmania and 

 Western Australia. In this Colony, from the coast to the interior, but 

 more common in the dry country. 



52. Panicum decomposition, E.Br. 



Botanical name. Decompositum, Latin, divided, or not set together, 

 alluding to the branches and the panicle. 



Synonyms. P. laevinode, Lindl. ; also, P. paludosum, Eoxb. (pro- 

 bably). 



Vernacular Names. " Native Millet," "Umbrella Grass." Some- 

 times called " Barley Grass." The seed used to be called "Cooly" 

 by Western New South Wales aborigines, and "Tindil" by the 

 aborigines of the Cloncurry Eiver (North Queensland) . 



Where figured. Agricultural Gazette. 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 489). A semi-aquatic glabrous 

 grass, often tall and stout. 



Leaves mostly long, flat, and rather broad, especially when growing in water, narrow 



in drier situations. 

 Ligula very short and broad, ciliate. 

 Panicle 6 inches to 1 foot long, or even more, with numerous crowded filiform 



divided branches, the lower ones clustered, at first erect, and enclosed at the 



base within the last leaf sheath, at length sometimes very loose and spreading 



to the breadth of 1 foot. 



