Order GRAMINE^. 



9. AGROSTIS SETIFOLIA. 



ALPINE BENT GRASS. 

 (Plate XXIV. B.) 



DEYEUXIA SETIFOLIA, Hook, fil., Fl. N.Z., I., 299, t. 65 B. AGROSTIS 

 SETIFOLIA, Hook, fil., Handb. N.Z. Flora, I., 329. 



A SMALL alpine grass. Flowers January. Roots perennial. Culms 

 tufted, glabrous, grooved, 6 8 inches high. Leaves very narrow, invo- 

 lute, shorter than the culms, glabrous ; ligule oblong. Panicle i 2-inches 

 long, contracted, branches short. Spikclets few, ^ i-inch long, 

 shining. Empty glumes unequal, 3-nerved, lateral nerves short. 

 Flowering glume sessile, truncate, 4 toothed, \ shorter than the empty 

 glumes, 5-nerved and with long silky hairs at base ; awn nearly twice as 

 long as the glume, proceeding from the middle of the back. Palea 

 nearly as long as the glume, bifid, 2-nerved, and with a long silky pedicel 

 at back. Scales entire, oblong, acute. Styles short. Stigmas longer, 

 feathery. DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES : NEW ZEALAND. 



This grass, as far as at present known, appears to be limited in distribution to 

 a few alpine localites in the North Island, it possesses a close habit of growth and 

 succulent nature, and would prove a valuable addition to any pasture. The alpine 

 pastures of New Zealand are unvisited during winter owing to the presence of 

 snow, but are much frequented by sheep in the South Island during summer, 

 when the lower lands are short of feed, and, no doubt, when the alpine portions of 

 the Tararua and Kuahine Mountains, where this species is only found, are opened 

 up for stock by clearing away the bush from their lower slopes, their grazing capa- 

 bilities will prove equally valuable as that of the South. DISTRIBUTION ix NEW 

 ZEALAND: NORTH ISLAND: RUAHINE MOUNTAIN AND LAKE 

 WAIKARE-Colenso ; TARARUA MOUNTAIN H. H. Travers. 



Reference to Plate XXIV. B. : Fig. 1. Plant, 2. Spikelet. 3. Floret. 

 4,4'. Nervation of empty glumes. 5. Nervation of flowering glume. 6. Nervation 

 of Palea. 7. Scale. 8. Ovary. 



