165 



Palea very flat, often hairy on the back, with two prominent almost 

 marginal nerves. 



Styles distinct, short. 



Grain more or less flattened, enclosed in the glume and palea, free 

 from them. 



Fungi found on Eriachne. Sorosporium eriachnes, Thun., and 

 Ustilago australis, Cooke, have both been recorded from Eriachne ftp. 



Awns not longer than the glumes. Panicle loose. Spikelets pedicellate, 



usually few. 

 Leaves glabrous, flat. Outer glumes hairy, about 4 lines long. 



Flowering glume hairy all over ... ... ... ... ... 10. E. aristidea. 



Awn none or reduced to a very small point. 

 Panicle narrow. Spikelets pedicellate. Outer glumes about 3 lines 



long. Tall plant, with glabrous flat leaves ... ... ... 15. E. pallida. 



Panicle loose or reduced to two or three spikelets. Outer glumes 

 not above 2 lines long. Leaves not pungent, the upper ones 

 distant. Spikelets about 2 lines long. 

 Flowering glumes mucronate ... ... ... ... ... 17. E. mucronata. 



Flowering glumes obtuse or scarcely acute ... ... ... ... 18. E. obtusa. 



10. Eriachne aristidea, F.v.M. 



Botanical Names. Eriachne Greek, erios, wool ; achne, chaff 

 (glume), the glumes being woolly or hairy; aristidea f resembling a 

 grass of the genus Aristida in habit. 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 629). 



Stems branching and often decumbent at the base, ascending to from ^ to 1-g feet, 



the nodes usually bearded. 

 Leaves flat, glabrous, the sheaths often broad. 

 Panicle loose, with few spreading branches. 

 Spikelets shortly pedicellate. 

 Outer glumes usually purplish, about 4 lines long, acute, sprinkled with spreading 



hairs arising from tubercles. 

 Flowering glumes densely silky-hairy except at the top, tapering into an awn scarcely 



so long as the glume itself. 

 Palea hairy, tapering into a deeply bifid awnlike point. 



Value as a fodder. Not known. 



Habitat and range. Found in all the Colonies except Tasmania and 

 Victoria. An interior species. 



15. Eriachne pallida, P.v.M. 



Botanical Names. Pallida Latin, pale, referring to the inflor- 

 escence. 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 631). 



Stems apparently about 2 feet high, slender, and branching. 



Leaves flat but narrow, with subulate points, glabrous. 



Panicle loose but narrow, 2 to 4 inches long, the spikelets all pedicellate. 



Outer glumes glabrous, about 3 lines long, tapering into fine points. 



Flowering glumes longer, with fine points, scarcely awned, glabrous on the back 

 except near the base, the margins ciliate with long hairs. 



Palea hairy, tapering to a fine bifid point. 



Value as a fodder. Not known. 



Habitat and range. Found in New South Wales ; also from New 

 South Wales to Northern Australia. An interior species. 



