120 FLORA OF TASMANIA. | Graminee. 
Gen. XIX. DANTHONIA, DC. 
Spieule 2-8-flore ; floribus distichis, summo tabescente. Glume 2, subcarinatee, muticee, subsequales, 
flores sequantes v. superantes. Palee 2; inferior barbata v. nuda, concava, multinervis, apice late et pro- 
funde bifida, inter lacinias muticas v. aristato-subulatas aristata; arista basi complanata, torta, v. brevis- 
sima, recta. Squamule 2, integre, glabre v. pilose. Ovarium stipitatum. Caryopsis compressa; libera. 
—Gramina cespitosa, plerumque rigida; foliis planis v. involutis; spiculis majusculis, pedicellatis, race- 
mosis v. paniculatis. 
Generally harsh, tufted Grasses, growing in dry soils and climates, as Australia, South Africa, and the South of 
Europe. The Tasmanian species are extremely difficult of discrimination, and I suspect that the first three should 
be reduced to only one.—Leaves flat or involute. Panicles rather contracted, of few large, often shining spikelets. 
Flowers two or more, the upper often imperfect. Glumes two, awnless, nearly equal, as long or longer than the 
flowers. Lower palea concave, many-nerved, bearded, bifid at the point, with a long or short flattened twisted 
awn. Ovary smooth, stipitate. Seed compressed. (Named in honour of M. Danthoine, a French Botanist.) 
$ 1. Lower palea furnished with several tufts of silky hairs on the sides. 
l. Danthonia pilosa (Br. Prodr. 177); culmis foliis setaceis vaginisque plus minusve molliter 
laxe patentim pilosis, panicula coarctata lanceolata, spieulis 6-floris glumis brevioribus, palea inferiore basi 
medioque barbata, fasciculis superioribus pilorum raris brevibus, aristis lateralibus elongatis palea longio- 
ribus glumis inclusis exsertisve, intermedia torta flosculo bis-ter longiore.— Trin. Sp. Gram.i. t. 51. Not. 
în Fl. N. Zeal. i. 303. D. Gunniana, Nees, Lond. Journ. Bot. i. 417. (Gunn, 585, 998.) 
Has. Abundant throughout the Island.— (Fl. Oct.—Jan.) (v. v.) 
Disrr1B. New South Wales, Victoria, New Zealand. 
A slender, tufted, rigid, wiry Grass.—Leaves setaceous, and culms (a span to 2 feet high) more or less 
covered with long scattered hairs. Panicle contracted, lanceolate or ovate, pale-green, 13-3 inches long. Spikelets 
erect, shining, with brown awns, six-flowered, 3 inch long. Glumes longer than the flowers. Lower palea with a 
tuft of silky hairs at the base, and a few small tufts above the middle; lateral awns twice as long as the palea, 
as long or longer than the glumes, half as long as the twisted middle awn. ~ 
2. Danthonia semi-annularis (Br. Prodr. 177); culmis vaginis foliisgue glaberrimis, ore vagine 
longe barbato, foliis involutis elongatis setaceisve, panicula contracta pauciflora subsimplici, glamis floribus 
5-6 multo longioribus, palea inferiore basi medioque barbata, fasciculis superioribus pilorum aristis latera- 
libus (palea eequilongis brevioribusve) zequilongis v. $ brevioribus, arista intermedia torta glumis «equilonga 
y. paulo longiore.—Lab. Fl. N. Holl. i. p. 26. 1.33; Trin. Sp. Gram. v. t. 52; Nob. in Fl. N. Zeal. i. 303. 
(Gunn, 1455, 1457.) 
Has. Abundant throughout the Island.— (Fl. Oct.-Jan.) (v. v.) 
DisrarB. Extratropical Australia and New Zealand. 
None of my specimens of this very common and variable Grass agree exactly with Mr. Brown’s description or 
with Labillardiêre's or Trinius's figures; nevertheless, after a very careful study of many forms and specimens from 
Tasmania and New Zealand, and of Labillardiêre's original ones, I am constrained to consider that neither plates 
nor descriptions answer to the common Tasmanian state of the plants, which have a short simple raceme, and 
awns generally longer than the glumes.—Cudms 6-20 inches high, and leaves and sheaths quite smooth and 
glabrous; mouth of the latter with long silky hairs. Panicle 2-4 inches long, narrow or effuse, eight- to fifteen- 
flowered, sparingly branched. Glumes 3 inch long, white or purple, five- or six-flowered. Flowers much shorter 
than the glumes, with an exserted, twisted middle awn (not so long, stout, and dark as D. pilosa). Lower palea 
