191 



Gramineae. 



Stipa horrifolia, n. sp. (Tab. ix.) Gramen dense 

 caespitosum 30-80 cm. altum, caulibus erectis, foliorum 

 laminis rigidis involuto-cylindricis erectis patenti-hirsutis 

 vel hispidis apice subpungentibus, ligula brevi ciliolata, 

 vagina suprema elongata sensim inflata basin paniculae 

 amplexante, panicula 15-30 cm. longa laxa denique contracta, 

 ramorum fasciculis circiter 9 semiverticillatis distantibus, 

 ramis plerisque divisis, pedicellis capillaribus puberulis 5-12 

 mm. longis, glumis vacuis scariosis purpurascentibus apice 

 1-3-dentatis, inferiore 8-10 mm. longa, 3-nervia, superiore 

 paulo breviore 5-nervia, gluma florifera villosa 3-4 mm. longa 

 apice integra duplo longiore quam callus, palea glumam 

 aequante dorso pubescente, arista 4-7 cm. longa articulata 

 sed tantum post spiculam humatam secedente sub geniculo 

 torta villosa supra puberula sub lente. 



Nullabor Plain (per Dr. R. S. Rogers); Peterborough; 

 Enfield; Pinnaroo; Moonta (J. M. B.). 



This plant was placed by me tentatively under ♦S'. arach- 

 nopus, Pilger, in these Trans., xliii., 25 (1919). Since then 

 three specimens have been sent to the Royal Botanic Gar- 

 dens, Kew, and Dr. O. Stapf reports that, although he has 

 not seen a specimen of Pilger's plant, he considers that they 

 do not belong to that species. He adds: — "The specimens 

 submitted appear to differ in the following points : the leaves 

 are coarser, the panicle has more numerous internodes, many 

 spikelets and long pedicels, the glumes are longer and the 

 awn is more hairy and much longer. I should not hesitate 

 to describe them as a new species. We have nothing in our 

 herbarium to match them." 



As a result of this opinion from so distinguished an 

 authority on the grasses as Dr. Stapf, the new species has been 

 here described and figured. The localities given show that 

 S. horrifolia is widely distributed throughout the State, in 

 fact almost from its western to eastern boundary. 



Panicam rIecom2)o.<iiti(ni , R. Br. Dr. Stapf considers 

 that P. Wkifei, described and figured by me in these Trans., 

 xli., 632, pi. 39 (1917), must be included in P. decomyositum. 

 As his mem.orandum is of interest to botanists in other States 

 besides ours I quote from it as follows: — "When revising our 

 fairly ample material of /''. decomposaitutn, R. Br., I came 

 across a specimen collected by Andrews in the 'vicinity of 

 Lake Eyre' consisting of two small pieces very like your speci- 

 men, though still smaller, and a piece with a large young 

 panicle and leaves, exactly of the broad-leaved form of /^ 

 decompoxifitm. The agreement is so great that I have no 



