Order GRAMINE^E. 



GENUS XVIIL KCELERIA, Persoon. 



Spikelets 2 4-flowered, shortly pedicellate, shining. Panicle spike-like, 

 densely cylindrical or interrupted. Empty glumes unequal, or nearly 

 equal. Flowering glumes bifid at the top, with a short straight, dorsal 

 or nearly intermediate awn, or o. the lowest glume sessile, the upper on 

 a short articulating rachis. Palca 2-nerved, bifid at tip, nearly as long 

 as the glume. Scales 2. Stamens 3. Grain free. DISTRIBUTION OF 

 GENUS : TEMPERATE REGIONS ON THE NORTHERN 

 HEMISPHERE, AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA, NEW ZEALAND. 

 Etymology : named in honour of Professor Koeler, an early writer on 

 grasses. 



1. KCELERIA CKISTATA. 



CRESTED HAIR GRASS. 



(Plate XXX Fill.) 



KCELERIA CRISTATA, Persoon. Hook, fil., Fl. N.Z. I., 305. KCELERIA 

 CRTSTATA, Persoon. Hook, fil., Handb. N.Z. Flora, I., 334. 



A SHINING silvery grey grass, found from sea-level to 4000 feet altitude. 

 Flowers December February. Culms i 3 feet high. Leaves short, 

 flat or involute, pilose ; ligule short, rounded at top. Panicle erect, 

 3 5 inches long, narrow, often interrupted or lobed below, branches 

 very short. Spikelets crowded, erect, imbricated, white or purplish, 

 2 3 flowered, % t-inch long. Empty glumes unequal, 3-nerved. 

 Flowering glumes glabrous, bifid and shortly awned at top, 5-nerved, 

 rachis pilose. Pa lea nearly as long as the glume, bifid at top, 2-nerved. 

 Scales unequally 2 lobed. DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES : MIDDLE 

 ISLAND : AGLIONBY PLAINS Munro ; CANTERBURY 

 PLAINS, AND ACHERON VALLEY (4000 feet) Travers ; 

 OTAGO Lindsay ; OTAGO MOUNTAINS, INLAND W. Petrie; 

 OTAGO LAKE DISTRICT Hector and Buchanan ; TERRACES 



