Order GRAMINE^. 



2. DANTHONIA OVATA, N.S. 



(Plate XXIX. 2.) 



A SMALL sub-alpine tussac grass, found at 4000 feet altitude. Flcnvers 

 January. Culms ij 2 feet high, pilose below. Leaves 10 12 inches 

 long, narrow, involute, pilose ; ligule o, or with a narrow line of short 

 hairs round the mouth of sheath, and a small tuft of long hairs on each 

 side. Panicle 3 4 inches long, erect, ovate ; branches alternate, 

 i ij inches long. Spikelets alternate on the branches, J-inch long, 

 4 6-flowered, 2 4 spikelets on each branch. Empty glumes nearly 

 equal, 3-nerved. Flowering glume deeply 2-fid with lateral awns, 

 9-nerved, glabrous, fringed on margins and back with pencils of hairs, 

 central awn straight, not flattened or twisted at the base, pedicel tufted 

 with long hairs. Palea bifid on top, and with long straggling hairs on 

 the margins. Scales linear-oblong, acute, crowned with long cilia. 

 DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES : NEW ZEALAND. 



This is a grass of apparently limited distribution, and of which little is known, 

 but as the mountainous parts of Southland, where it was discovered, has never 

 been botanically explored, it may probably yet be found abundantly there. The 

 fringed flowering glumes pronounces its affinity to the larger tussac grasses, and 

 the straight subulate awn, more particularly to D. CuvnmcfJiamn, of which it might 

 be considered as only a variety, but for the much larger spikelets and long lateral 

 awns of the flowering glume, neither has any variation of that species been seen 

 with a similar panicle, or such short leaves. The value of this grass in pasture is 

 not known, but at the time of flowering it is no doubt eaten by sheep who spare 

 nothing at these high altitudes during the summer season. DISTRIBUTION IN 

 NEW ZEALAND : SOUTH ISLAND : MOUNT EGLINTON, SOUTHLAND 

 J. Morton. 



Reference to Plate XXIX. 2. : Fig. 1. Plant. 2. Spikelet. 3. Floret. 

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

 tion of Palea. 7 . Scale. 8. Ovary, pistils, and stigmas. 



