74 



Value as a fodder. A very close-growing grass, forming on even 

 dry, stony ridges a close turf. (Bailey.) 



Habitat and range. Extends from New South Wales to Northern 

 Australia. In our own Colony found on the northern rivers, extending 

 to the table-land. Found also in Ceylon and in the Indian Peninsula. 



10. Ischsemum laxum, R.Br. 



Botanical name. Laxum, Latin for loose or slack, in allusion to the 

 habit of the grass. 



Vernacular name. " Kat's-tail Ischsemum." 



Where figured. Agricultural Gazette. 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 522). A rather slender grass of 2 

 to 3 feet, the Australian specimens quite glabrous. 



Leaves narrow, often subulate. 



Ligula short, ciliate. 



Spike single, dense, sometimes slightly curved, 2 to 4 or rarely 5 inches long ; rhachis 

 and pedicels ciliate. 



Sessile spikelet narrow, scarcely flattened, 3 to 4 lines long. 



'Outer glume acutely acuminate, with two rather prominent nerves and obscure ones 

 between them. 



Second glume thin, produced into a long, fine, straight awn. 



Third hyaline, with a male flower. 



Terminal glume hyaline, narrow, bifid, with a long, bent awn. 



Pedicellate spikelet more conspicuous, much flattened as well as the pedicel. 



Glumes acutely acuminate, the outer ones broadly lanceolate, with five very pro- 

 minent nerves. 



Second thin, scarious, faintly three-nerved, two flowering glumes and paleas thin 

 and hyaline, both with male flowers or the third empty. 



Value as a fodder. This is a coarse grass, often met with at the base 

 of hills. Before seeding it forms a fair pasture for cattle, but is not 

 adapted for sheep. (Bailey.) Mr. Lowrie says it is one of the best 

 grasses in the Ajmere district of India. (Duthie.) 



Habitat and range. Extends from New England, New South 

 Wales, to Northern Australia; occurs also in tropical Asia and 

 Africa. 



27. ARTHKAXON. 



Spikelets one-flowered, sessile in the alternate notches of the 

 articulate rhachis of simple spikes, with a short pedicel in the same 

 notch usually without any spikelet, the spikes sessile or shortly 

 pedunculate in a simple terminal panicle. 



Glumes four, the outer one the largest, membranous, several-nerved; 

 the second keeled, acute ; the third smaller, hyaline, all awnless ; fourth 

 or terminal glume shorter than the second, hyaline but keeled, with 

 a dorsal awn arising from the base, but twisted and bent as in 

 Andropogon. 



Palea very small and hyaline. 



Styles distinct. 



Grain enclosed in the outer glumes, but free from them. 



Stems usually weak or slender with short broad leaves. 



