Order ORAMINE/E. 



3. DICHELACHNE SCIUREA. 



SHORT HAIR PLUME GRASS. 

 (Plate XVI.) 



DICHELACANE SIEBERIANA, and D. vuLGARis, Trinius and Ruprecht ; 

 D. MONTANA, Endl. Prod., Fl. Norf., 20. AGROSTIS SCIUREA, R. Brown. 

 Prod. 171; A. RARA, Nees; MUHLENBERGIA SCIUREA, Trin. Gram. 

 Unifl., 193. STIPA MICRANTHA, Nees. DICHELACHNE SCIUREA, Hook, 

 fil. Fl. Tasm. II., in. FL N.Z., I., 294; Handb. N.Z. Flora, L, 326. 



A SMALL tufted glabrous grass of low altitudes. Flowers December 

 January. Root fibrous. Perennial. Stems i 2 feet high, slender. 

 Leaves flat or involute ; ligule very short, obtuse, entire, or lacerate. 

 Panicle elongate, contracted, 3 6 inches long, branches more open and 

 with fewer spikelets than the former. Spikelets less than ^-inch long. 

 Empty glumes narrow, long-acuminate, 3-nerved. Flowering glume as 

 long, 2-fid at top, 5-nerved ; awn flexuose, twisted, 2 \ times longer than the 

 glume, inserted at the back above the middle. Palea narrow, 2-fid, 

 2-nerved. Scales large, oblong, long-acuminate. Anthers short, stout. 

 Ovary glabrous, oblong. Styles very short, nearly connate at the base. 

 Stigmas short, plumose. DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES : AUSTRALIA, 

 TASMANIA, NEW ZEALAND. 



A very different looking grass from D. crinita in its extreme forms, but con- 

 nected with that species by intermediate varieties, which, though differing in 

 outward form, cannot be separated by the details of the inflorescence. These 

 varieties are, as far as at present known, limited to the North Island. The three 

 specimens figured in Plate XVI. are : Fig, 1, collected by Mr. Kirk, near Auck- 

 land. Fig. 1' from a specimen collected on the Island of Kawau, which in outward 

 form resembles D. crinita, but in microscopical details of inflorescence, agrees 

 entirely with the present species. Fig. 1" is from a specimen collected in the 

 Domain, Wellington, which appears to be only a small form of the species, or an 

 introduced Australian form. All the varieties are valuable pasture grasses, and, 

 from their slender succulent habit, would become valuable as fodder grasses if 

 cultivated. Regarding the doubtful perennial habit of this and other species, it 

 may be remarked, that under the mild climate which obtains in the North Island 



