Order GRAMINE^. 



GENUS V. SPINIFEX, Linnaeus. 



INFLORESCENCE dioecious. Male spikelets spiked on rigid peduncles, 

 which are collected into umbels, with sheathing or spathaceous leaves 

 at their base, i or 2-flowered. Empty glumes 3. Flowering glume 

 membranous. Stamens $. Ant/iersverylong. Female spikelcts solitary 

 or few, in the sheathing bases of very long, pungent leaves, which are 

 extremely numerous, and collected into very large globose masses, i or 

 2-flowered ; 3 empty glumes, as in the male, but larger. Flowering glume 

 coriaceous. Scales 2. Grain free within the glumes and palea. DIS- 

 TRIBUTION OF GENUS : INDIA, CHINA, AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA, 

 PACIFIC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND. Etymology : From the Latin 

 " Spina," in allusion to the termination of the rat fa's. 



SPINIFEX HIRSUTUS. 



SPINY ROLLING GRASS, 

 (Plates VII I., IX,) 



SPINIFEX HIRSUTUS, Labill. Flora, Nov. Holl., II., 81, t. 230 231. 

 SPINIFEX SERICEUS, Raoul. En. Plant. SPINIFEX INERMIS, Banks et 

 Sol., M.S.S. IXALUM INERME, Forst., Prodr., fid. Raoul. SPINIFEX 

 HIRSUTUS, Labill. Hook, fil., Fl. Tasm. II., 106 ; Fl. N.Z., I., 292; 

 Handb. N.Z., Flora, I.,322. 



A COURSE, rambling, much-branched, rigid, spinous, silky or woolly, 

 perennial grass. Habitats near the sea on sand-hills, or saline soils 

 more inland. Flowers January February. Culms stout, knotted, 

 creeping. Leaves i ij-inches long, coriaceous, lower sheaths shining, 

 both sides of leaf silky, or villous. Male spikes with the rachis i 3 

 inches long, numerous, peduncled, silky. Spikelets i 2-flowered, 

 shortly pedicelled, J-inch long Empty glumes : First and second 

 7 -nerved, third 5-nerved. Androus flmvering glume 5-nerved. Palea 

 2-nerved. Scales 2, large, fleshy, with membranous borders, 2-nerved. 

 Stamens 3. Anthers long, narrow. Female spikelets i 2-flowered at 



