28 



Botanical notes. — There are four varieties of this species : — ■ 



1. Glahtrrimum. — Stems tall ; branches of the panicle sometimes more than 8 



inches long, the whole plant glabrous, spikes l| lines long, glabrous. 

 Hitherto only recorded from Queensland. 



2. Normale. — Foliage glabrous, or nearly so, panicle branches 4 to 8 inches long, 



spikelets 1^ lines long, silky- villous, rarely nearly glabrous. 

 Coast districts of New South Wales ; also Queensland. 



3. Ammophilum. — Foliage softly villous, spikelets small, covered with long silky 



hairs, spreading when in fruit. 

 Syn. : P. ammophilum, F.v.M. 

 Interior of South Australia and of New South Wales. 



4. Radiatum. — Foliage softly villous, spikelets small, glabrous, or nearly so. 

 Syn. : P. radiatum, R.Br. 



Coast districts of New South Wales ; also Queensland. 



Value as a fodder. — This variable grass is more widely diffused in 

 the drier regions, and it is not only a drought-resisting species, but it 

 yields palatable and nutritious fodder. It also seeds freely. 



Habitat and range. — In all the colonies except Tasmania and 

 "Western Australia. Adapts itself to a great variety of soils and 

 climatic conditions, from the coast to the dry country. 



3. Panicum macr actinium, Benth. 



Botanical name. — Macr actinium, from two Greek words, macros, 

 long, and actis, actinos a ray ; referring to the long rays of the panicle. 



Vernacular name. — "Roly-poly Grass. " So called because its 

 panicles, when ripe, break off and are blown and roll about by the 

 wind. Hence it has got into bad repute, because of useless plants 

 which behave in a similar manner. 



Where figured. — Bailey. 



Botanical description (B. Fl ., vii, 468) . — Allied to P. divaricatissimum, 

 but taller and quite glabrous. 



Panicle similar, the slender branches rigid, often 6 to 8 inches long, the lower ones 

 in a dense verticil, the upper ones alternate and distant. 



Spikelets distant in pairs, one almost sessile, the other on a longer pedicel, both 

 fertile and similar, narrow, acute, about 1^ lines long. 



Outer glume \ to f line long, ovate, oblong, obtuse, the second nearly as long as the 

 third, three or five nerved, the margins ciliate, the third rather longer, very 

 prominently three-nerved, ciliate, with rigid hairs proceeding from a row of 

 prominent tubercles. 



Flowering glume narrow, acute. 



Value as a fodder. — One of the dry-country grasses; grows in tufts, 

 and is nutritious. It is especially valuable in producing a quantity of 

 palatable feed when young and green ; later on the natural hay is still 

 sought after by stock. 



Habitat and range. — In New South Wales and Queensland, from 

 the coast to the interior. 



" Although it is often found on rich downs country, it is often met 

 with on the poorest sandy ridges." (Bailey.) 



