Graminee. | FLORA OF TASMANIA. 103 
lanceolatis, ore integro obliquo, viridibus nervatis glabris, squama lanceolata subacuta ferruginea medio 
pallida nervosa, superne albo-hyalina angustioribus longioribusque.—Boott. (Tas. CLIIT. A.) 
Has. Tasmania, Guan (mixed with U. tenella). 
Culmus 4-poll.?, levis, gracilis. Folia filiformia, firma, culmum subequantia. Spica 6 lin. longa, 2 lin. lata, 
apice subdimidiatim mascula. Sguame conformes: mascule angustiores. Perigynium 245, lin. longum, j lin. 
latum.—Boott.—PLATE CLIII. 4. Fig. 1, male scale and flower; 2, female ditto; 3, perigynium :—all magnified. 
4. Uncinia compacta (Br. Prodr. 241); spica oblonga ferruginea nuda vel bracteata, apice plus 
minus mascula basi demum laxiflora; perigyniis oblongo-ellipticis triquetris viridibus, ore albo obliquo, 
nervatis, squama ovato-lanceolata acuta ferruginea concolori brevioribus vel equantibus. (Gunn, 1408.) 
(Tas. CLIII. P.) 
Has. Summit of Mount Wellington, Gunn ; Western Mountains, Archer. 
Culmus 4-12 poll., triqueter, levis, rigidus. Folia 1-13 lin. lata, culmo breviora, plana, firma. Spica 8-15 
lin. longa, 3 lin. lata, apice ssepe dimidiatim mascula. Sguamæ conformes: infima sepius setaceo-cuspidata, 
rarius spica longior. Perigynium 2-2; lin. longum, $; lin. latum. Achenium 1435 lin. longum, + lin. latum, ine- 
qualiter triquetrum, castaneum, basi styli incrassata. (Boott.)—Prare CLIII. B. Fig. 1, male scale and flower; 
2, female ditto; 3, perigynium :—all magnified. 
Nar. Ong». XVI. GRAMINE. 
This extensive and important Natural Order is very scantily represented in Australia, where (including 
Tasmania) only about 350 species have been found; hence, though one of the largest natural family of 
Monocotyledons, it here but little exceeds Cyperacea in numbers, and is very much smaller than Legumi- 
nose, Myrtacez, Composite, or Proteacez. Altogether the Grasses form less than one-twentieth of the 
whole flowering plants of this part of the globe, a very much smaller proportion than they do in any 
other country of equal area. The Order varies much in relative numbers to other plants in the different 
quarters of the continent, the Tasmanian proportion rising to one-sixteenth of the flowering plants of that 
Island. The Swan River proportion is very much smaller, and the tropical greater. 
In the determination of the Tasmanian Graminea, I have received very great assistance from my 
friend Colonel W. Munro, through whose remarkable knowledge of this difficult and extensive Order of 
plants, many of my doubts and perplexities have been solved. 
Gen. I. TETRARRHENA, Br. 
Glume parve, 3-flore ; floribus distiche imbricatis, inferioribus neutris l-paleatis, terminali herma- 
phrodito. Palea fl. neutr. inf. ovato-elliptica, truncata, carinato-concava ; Jf. sup. palex fl. hermaph. con- 
formis. FZ. hermaph. :—Palea 2, naviculares ; inferior ovato-oblonga apice rotundata emarginata ; superior 
minor, l-nervis. Sguamule 2, glabre. Stamina 4. Caryopsis compressa, libera, paleis obtecta.—Folia 
plana; spicule racemose v. spicata. — i 
New Holland and Tasmanian Grasses, with slender, simple or branched culms, flat leaves, and spiked or 
racemose inflorescence.—Spikelets of three flowers, imbricated on opposite sides of the rachis. Glumes two very 
small scales. Two lower flowers neuter; the lowest with one ovate, concave palea; upper neuter flower with one 
palea like that of the terminal flower. Upper flower hermaphrodite. Palee two, boat-shaped ; lower ovate-oblong, 
blunt, notched at the apex; upper smaller, one-nerved. Scales two, alternate with the palew. Stamens four. Ovary 
sessile. Caryopsis enclosed in the persistent pales. (Name from rerpa four, and appyv, a male; in allusion to the 
four stamens.) 
