110 



Mr. Forester Kidston, of Condobolin, thus alludes to it : " The cele- 

 brated No. 9 grass, the most hurtful of all our grasses, the seed going 

 right through to the paunch/' No. 9 is, of course, an allusion to the 

 gauge of fencing-wire, and other Aristidas, Xerotes longifolia, and 

 other plants with exceptionally tough leaves are also referred to by 

 country people as No. 9 or No. 10. 



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

 principally on the sand-hills in the arid districts. 



9. Aristida depressa, Hetz. 



Botanical name. Depressa Latin, weighed or pressed down, signi- 

 fying, in a botanical sense, spread out or flattened down, referring to 

 the panicle. 



Vernacular name. ' ' Beardy grass." 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 563). A very variable grass, 

 distinguished by its narrow spikelets crowded and almost imbricate 

 along the short erect branches of a narrow compact panicle. 



Stems, in the Australian specimens, ascending or erect, above 1 foot high. 



Leaves narrow, ending in subulate points. 



Panicle from 2 to 3 inches long and spikelike, to 6 or 8 inches and interrupted at the 



base. 



Spikelets sessile along the branches and often purplish. 

 Outer glumes about 3 lines long. 

 Flowering glumes usually longer. 

 Awns sessile, varying from 4 to 6 lines or rather more. 



Probably the same as the tropical American A. dispersa, Trin. et 

 Eupr. (Benth.) 



Value as a fodder. Usually a dry unpalatable, innutritious grass. 

 " Opinions vary as to the value of this grass for fodder. Stewart 

 described it as a favourite fodder for cattle in the Punjab. Symonds 

 says that it is a troublesome grass which cattle will not eat. Colstream 

 states that it is grazed, but is too short and light to stack; that it covers 

 the Hussar bir in vast sheets, 'is too fine to cut with a scythe, but is 

 nutritious, and particularly relished by cattle. In the Jhang Set- 

 tlement Report it is stated to be a grass of average quality, and is 

 found growing in Kallar. Neither at Ajmere nor at Jeypur is it 

 considered to be a good fodder grass. " (Duthie.) 



Habitat and range. Found on sandy or light loamy soils in New 

 South Wales, and in Queensland. In our own Colony occurring in the 

 dry country, and found sparingly on the tableland, Dividing Range, 

 and northern coast district from Hunter River. It is also a native 

 of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. 



49. STIPA. 



Spikelets one-flowered, on filiform pedicels or nearly sessile in a 

 terminal panicle, the rhachis of the spikelet articulate above the two 

 outer glumes. 



Glumes three, narrow ; two outer, usually persistent, membranous, 

 keeled, empty, unawned ; terminal or flowering glume narrow, rigid, 



