43 



Spikelets of P. effusum, nodes glabrous, ligula very short ... 51. P. Mitchetti. 

 Spikelets about 1 line, outer glume short, broad, truncate, 



or scarcely acute, nerveless ; a palea in the third glume 52. P. decompositum. 

 Lower panicle-branches verticillate, outer glume nearly as long 



as the others ; a palea in the third glume. 



Ligula very short, with ring of cilia 53. P. trachyrhachia. 



Ligula prominent, scarious, without cilia... ... ... 54. P. prolutum. 



31. Panicum foliosum, R. Br. 



Botanical name. — Foliosum, Latin for leafy or full of leaves, 

 descriptive of this grass. 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 481). — 

 Stems 1 to 2 feet high, decumbent at the base. 



Leaves rather broad, usually pubescent, the nerve-like margins often undulate. 

 Panicle loose, with few distant simple branches, the rhachis flexuose and slender, 



the lower branches sometimes 2 to 3 inches long. 

 Spikelets few, distant, almost sessile or distinctly pedicellate, and the lower pedicels 



sometimes bearing two spikelets, all above 2 lines long in the typical form, 



ovoid, acute, pubescent, or glabrous. 

 Outer glume about half as long as the spikelet, very broad, acute, with about seven 



nerves. 

 Second and third glumes nearly equal, five or seven nerved ; a rather broad palea in 



the third. 

 Fruiting glume minutely rugose without the point of P. helopus and its allies, but 



usually with a short callous incurved tip. 



Value as a fodder. — This is more a Queensland grass than a New 

 South Wales one, and I therefore quote the remarks of two Queens- 

 landers in regard to it : — 



" One of our most valuable perennial grasses, and admirably adapted 

 for resisting very severe drought. Cattle of every description are 

 fond of it. It delights in rich alluvial soil, where it attains a height 

 of 3 to 4 feet." (O'Shanesy). 



" A handsome, broad-leaved grass, found usually on broken land, 

 the borders of scrubs and river sides, or amongst rocks. Of straggling 

 habit, the whole plant clothed with short hairs ; does not bear feeding 

 off, for stock destroy it by pulling it up by the roots, it has so slight 

 a hold of the ground/' (Bailey) . 



Other uses. — It has been recommended for growth on river banks. 



Habitat and range. — Northern New South Wales and Queensland, 

 in the Coast districts. 



32. Panicum adspersnm, Trin. 



Botanical name. — Adspersum — Latin for besprinkled, or scattered, 

 referring to the scattered hairs on the spikelets. 

 Where figured. — Trinius, Agricultural Gazette. 

 Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 481) — 



Stems ascending to 1 foot or rather more, glabrous, except the ciliate nodes. 

 Leaves flat, rather broad and short, the sheaths broader upwards, prominently 

 ciliate. The lamina almost cordate at the base, with a very short ciliate ligula. 

 Panicle narrow, rather dense, 1J to 3 inches long, with several erect and slightly 

 spreading branches, all glabrous, without any, or with very few small cilia 

 under the spikelets. 

 Spikelets ovoid, rather acute, quite glabrous, 1^ to near 2 lines long, crowded or 

 clustered in the lower part of the branches, singly sessile towards the end. 



