198 - FLORA OF TASMANIA. | Graminee. 
This fine Grass resembles the Festuca spadicea of Europe, and still more the F. Kingiana of Fuegia. I have 
seen only one good Tasmanian specimen, and several Victoria ones, which latter, though all referred to one species 
by Mueller, present a good deal of variation, and may possibly belong to two. In all the young flowers, previous 
to expansion, the ovary has terminal stigmas, but in older ones, after flowering, the caryopsis appears to be obovate, 
deeply furrowed, almost bilobed, with the stigmas placed on the broad face below the apex ; the ripe caryopsis again 
is nearly straight, with terminal stigmas. In some of Mueller's specimens the upper palea is quite entire, termi- 
nating in a short awn; in others, and in the Tasmanian, it is split at the apex, and the short, straight awn arises 
from the fork. This plant hence oscillates (like Festuca Kingiana) between Festuca and Bromus, or else the speci- 
mens are of two species, so like as to be almost undistinguishable, but yet belonging to two different genera !— 
A tall, stout, handsome Grass, 2-4 feet high. Culms and leaves smooth or scabrid. Leaves flat, rigid, coriaceous, 
rough. Panicles drooping, 6-10 inches long, with slender, spreading branches; the lower branches geminate. 
Spikelets few, distant, on ciliate pedicels, about 2 inch long, pale-green when young, six- to eight-flowered. Flowers 
rather distant, on a hairy or sparingly villous rachis. Outer palea with seven nerves, scabrid margins and keel, 
and a short, straight awn, either terminal or rising from the split apex of the palea. Sguamule acuminate, obliquely 
lanceolate, bilobed. Ovary glabrous.—PLATE CLXV. Fig. 1, spikelet; 2, flower; 3, squamule, stamens, and 
pistil; 4, ovary; 5, caryopsis ; 6, spikelet, from Victoria specimen; 7, young caryopsis from ditto; 8, caryopsis 
of ditto :—all magnified. 
5. Festuca littoralis (Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. i. 22. t. 27); glaberrima, culmis cespitosis inferne 
- ramosis erectis strictis rigidis foliosis, foliis erectis involutis teretibus apicibus pungentibus culmo longio- 
ribus, panicula elongata coarctata, ramis brevibus, spiculis (magnis) compressis, glumis lanceolatis acumi- 
natis, floribus sub-6 imbricatis, palea inferiore pubescente carinata obscure 3-dentata basi nuda v. barbata. 
— Br. Prodr. 178; Fl. Antarct. i. p. 99. Poa littoralis, Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. i. p. 22. t. 27. Arundo trio- 
dioides, Zrin. Sp. Gram. iii. 4. 351. Schenodorus Billardierianus, Nees, Lond. Journ. Bot. ii. 419. 
S. littoralis, Pal. Beauv. Agrost.; Fl. N. Zeal. i. p. 309. (Gunn, 986.) 
Has. Abundant; rocks and sand-hills near the coast.—(Fl. Nov.) (v. v.) 
Disrris. East, west, and southern coasts of extratropical New Holland; New Zealand; Lord Auck- 
land’s Island. : 
Forms dense hard tufts, of a pale-yellow colour.—Culms 1-3 feet high, and leaves perfectly smooth, glabrous 
and polished, shining, striated, rigid, wiry, branched at the base. Leaves involute, terete, sharp, almost pungent, 
longer than the culms. Panieles 3-10 inches long, slender, pale yellow-green, with a rigid rachis, and short, 
erect branches. Spikelets broad, compressed, five-flowered, 4-3 inch long. Glumes acuminate, shorter than the 
flowers, which are pubescent. Lower palea sharp, three-toothed at the tip. 
Gen. XXV. TRITICUM, Z. 
Spicule spicatee, rachi parallele, tri-multiflore, floribus distichis. Glume 2, subopposite, ineguales 
v. subzquales. — Pa/ez 2; superior bicarinata, carinis ciliatis. Squamule 2, integre, sepius ciliate. 
Ovarium apice pilosum. Caryopsis libera v. paleis adnata.—Folia plana; spicule rachi continua spicate ; 
floribus rachilla sepius articulata sessilibus. 
This genus, which includes the cultivated Wheat, is found in various parts of the world.—Culms branched at 
the base. Leaves flat. Spikelets arranged in generally a dense spike, parallel to the unjointed rachis, three- to 
many-flowered. Glumes two, nearly equal. Palee two; upper with two ciliated keels. Scales two, entire, often 
ciliated. Ovary hairy at the top, free, or with the palee adhering to it. (Name originally given to the wheat 
grain, from éritwm, beaten; in allusion to the operation of threshing.) 
l. Triticum scabrum (Br. Prodr. 178); culmis cespitosis gracilibus vaginisque leevibus (rarius 
