Order GRAMINE^E. 

 3. AGROSTIS MUELLER!. 



ALPINE BENT GRASS. 



(Plate XX. A. ) 



AGROSTIS CIKLIDA, F. Muell. Trans. Viet. Inst. 1855, p. 43. AGROSTIS 

 CANINA, Linn. VAR. B. GELIDA. Hook. fil. Handb. N.Z. Flora, I., 

 .528. AGROSTIS MUELLERI, Benth. Flora Australiensis, VII., 576. 



A SMALL, tufted, glabrous grass, ascending to 5000 feet altitude. 

 Flowers December March. Roots fibrous, creeping. Stems 3 5 inches 

 high. Leaves shorter than the culms, involute ; ligule oblong, obtuse, 

 entire or lacerate. Panicle | ij-inch long. Empty glumes nearly 

 equal, oblong-acuminate, scabrid on the margins and keel, 3-nerved, 

 lateral nerves very short. Flowering glume oblong, truncate, finely 

 serrate on top, 5-nerved, awnless. Palea o. Scale entire, oblong, 

 acute. Stamens 3, small. Styles short ; stigmas long, feathery. 

 DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES : SCOTLAND, AUSTRALIA, NEW 

 ZEALAND. 



The present grass which previously formed a variety of Ayrostis canhm, now 

 takes rank as a species, according to Bentham, under the present name. It is a 

 valuable summer sheep grass in mountainous districts, and is probably widely dis- 

 tributed over the upland pastures of New Zealand. It is found abundantly Avithin 

 the winter snow line, and to this circumstance of protection by snow during this 

 season, and a certain amount of rest immediately before and after from grazing, 

 may be attributed the permanency of the species. DISTRIBUTION IN NFAV 

 ZEALAND: NORTH ISLAND: RUAH1NE MOUNTAINS, 40005000 feet 

 Colenso. SOUTH ISLAND : MOUNT DARWIN Haast. OTAGO LAKE 

 DISTRICT, 30005000 feet Hector and Buchanan. KAIKOURA MOUN- 

 TAIN, 30005000 feetBuchanan. 



Reference to Plate XX. A. : Fig. 1. Plant. Spikelet. 3. Floret. 

 4. Nervation ol empty glumes, o. Nervation of flowering glume, t). Scale. 

 7. Ovary. 



