114 FLORA OF TASMANIA. [Graminez. 
Has. Dry grassy places; abundant.—(Fl. Oct.-Jan.) (v. v.) 
DisrarB. Victoria. 
Very similar to 4. parviflora in slender habit, size, and general appearance, but conspicuously differing in the 
very much larger panicle, with more numerous, whorled, very slender, long branches, large spikelets, and the long 
awn inserted below the middle of the palea, which is usually rough. Also very near the European 4. vulgaris, but 
the branches of the panicle are much longer; and to 4. Lyallii of New Zealand, which has longer glumes and a 
silky palea.—PrATE CLIX. 4. Fig. 1, spikelet; 2, flower; 3, pistil, stamens, and squamula :—all magnified. 
$ 2. BROMIDIUM.— Flower shortly pedicelled, with no rudiment or pedicel of a second. Upper palea present; lower 
with a fascicle of hairs at its base, and bi- to quadri-fid apex. 
3. Agrostis quadriseta (Dr. Prodr. 171); ceespitosa, culmis vaginisque leevibus scaberulisve, foliis 
planis involutis v. setaceis, panicula coarctata cylindracea continua v. lobata rarius interrupta v. subeffusa, 
glumis acuminatis flore basi sericeo longioribus, palea inferiore levi v. scaberula nervis 4 apice percurrentibus 
breviter 4-cuspidata, arista dorsali infra medium v. basin versus inserta inclusa v. glumis 4 longiora, supe- 
riore paulo breviore bidentata.—Kunth, En. 218. Trin. Diss. 204. p. ii. £. 33. Agrostis diaphora, Trin. 
Agrost. ii. 120. Avena quadriseta, Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. i. p. 25. t. 32. Bromidium, Nov. Act. Nat. Our. 
xvii. Suppl. ii. 154. B. quadrisetum, Nees, in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. ii. 416. 
Var. a. lobata; elata, foliis latiusculis planis, panicula majuscula lobata, palea inferiore glabra.— 
A. lobata, Br. Prodr. 171. Bromidium lobatum, Nees, /.c. 415. (Gunn, 990.) 
Var. B. montana ; cespitosa, foliis involuto-setaceis latisve brevibus, panicula subcylindracea lobata 
v. interrupta, palea inferiore scaberula marginibus pubescentibus. (Gunn, 991.) 
Var. y. paniculata ; elata, foliis latis brevibus, panicula pyramidali, ramis inferioribus subverticillatis 
remotis patentibus reflexisve. (Gunn, 991.) 
Has. Abundant throughout the Island.—(Fl. Sept.-Dec.) (v. v.) 
DisrRrs. Extratropical Australia, New Zealand. 
An extremely variable and very common Grass, presenting no constant characters by which the above-defined 
varieties may be always known from one another.—Culms a span to 33 feet high, smooth or rough, as are the 
leaves and sheaths. Leaves broad or narrow, short or long, smooth or scabrid. Panicle densely spicate, cylindri- 
cal and continuous, or lobed, or more open and pyramidal, with the lower branches remote and spreading. Glumes 
1— inch long, always longer than the flower, but very variable in this particular. Flower on a short, villous 
pedicel. Lower palea scaberulous, rarely quite smooth, hard, concave, contracted at the point, and then bifid or 
ending in four little awns, which are very variable in relative length ; great awn dorsal, inserted below the middle 
or towards the base, bent, twisted below; upper palea shorter, with two nerves that are scabrous at the back above, 
with sometimes a minute rigid pedicel at its base. Stamens three.—I have examined a vast number of Australian, 
New Zealand, and Tasmanian specimens of this most variable Grass, vainly trying to divide them into species or 
constant varieties. Brown's specimens of Agrostis montana (in Brit. Mus.) resemble this, but have a slender panicle ; 
florets as long as the glumes; palea rough, awned near the base. 
$ 3. DEYEUXIA.— Flower sessile or shortly pedicelled, furnished at the base of the upper palea with the (usually 
plumose) pedicel of a second flower, which is sometimes, but very rarely, perfect. 
4. s sequata (Nees, in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. ii. 413); scaberula, culmis subelatis 
cespitosis erectis foliosis, foliis planis ligula membranacea, panicula elongata effusa, ramis primariis plurimis 
verticillatis capillaribus pedicellisque scabris, glumis ovatis subacutis scabris flore paulo longioribus, paleis 
firmis nervis inconspicuis inferiore truncata mutica superiore subbidentata basi extus pedicello gracili.— 
(Gunn, 1005.) (Tas. CLIX. B.) 
