THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 89 



the creator of new species go his ways, while we pursue our own, 

 without envy. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF VICTORIA. 



No. XVII. 



By F. M. Reader, F.R.H.S. 



(Communicated by J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S.) 



{Read before the Field Naturalists^ Club of Victoria, 9th July, 1906.) 



POA HACKELI, Sp. nOV. 



A perennial swamp and water grass, from under a foot to more 

 than three feet high. Culms shortly ascending at the base, 

 compressed, striate and grooved. Leaves flat, auricled, the 

 broadest about 2 lines wide, the longest about 8 inches long, 

 slightly scabrous above, more so underneath, narrowed into a 

 pointed, short, and keeled channel, the margins being somewhat 

 folded over towards the apex and meeting at the summit. Upper 

 leaves usually erect ; basal and lower leaves and sheaths soon 

 becoming dry, membranous, and brownish. Sheath compressed, 

 generally rather loose and more or less scabrous. Nerves more 

 or less prominent and of unequal thickness. 



Ligule large, oblong with a broader base, upwards to more 

 than two lines long, very obtuse and slightly rounded. 



Panicle attaining the length of i )4 feet, at first contracted, 

 finally very loose, in proportion to its size few-flowered. 



Branches capillary, fascicled, usually in threes or fours, more 

 or less compressed and angular, scabrous, erect, irregularly 

 spreading or reflexed. Spikelets singly pedicellate, rarely more 

 than five lines long with seven or less to nine flowers. 



Empty glumes subequal, glabrous, and the margin broadly 

 membranous, about two lines long, three-nerved, with a strong 

 keel, which is slightly scabrous towards the apex. 



Flowering glume nearly 2)4 lines long, ovate-oblong, obtuse, 

 five-nerved, at the margin narrowly membranous, broadly so 

 across the apex, shortly silky villous along the keel and marginal 

 nerves to about ys of their length, and to about ^ on the inter- 

 stice between them. 



Palea nearly as long as the flowering glume, narrower, with a 

 strong green nerve, otherwise membranous, slightly scabrous 

 along the keel. 



Fruit not seen. 



In a swamp north-east of Warracknabeal, and in stagnant water 

 in various localities in the county of Borung. Sept. -Nov., 1903- 

 1904. F. M. Reader. 



Professor Hackel, to whom this grass was submitted for verifi- 

 cation, confirms that the plant is a new species, but on account of 



