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fills the gutters, as Sydney suburban, and other municipalities know 

 to their cost. It turns blackish on drying, which is a drawback to its 

 use for hay. Mr. Seccombe, who made many experiments with native 

 grasses on the Richmond River, does not look with favour on this 

 grass ; in fact, he advises discontinuance of its cultivation. He remarks 

 that its growth starts late in the spring and ceases early in the autumn. 



Other uses. — The rhizome is used in India as a medicine for inflam- 

 mation of the gums and against conjunctivis, and in the Argentine 

 Republic for liver complaint (Hackel) ; also for kidney troubles and 

 gonorrhoea (Some New Mexican Forage Plants). 



It has considerable value as a soil or river-bank binder, and, as 

 regards the coast form, as a sand-binder in addition. Some refer- 

 ences to its merits for binding soil have already been made. Kearney 

 says that on the beach (U.S.A.) he found sterile shoots 6 feet or more 

 in length, making excellent sand-binders. Lamson-Scribner says it 

 often does good service in binding soils subject to wash, and that it 

 can well be recommended for this use. Mueller recommends it for 

 fern-tree tubs to produce a green sward and some over-dropping 

 foliage. 



Habitat and range. — Port Jackson to the Tweed, extending west to 

 the table-land. The var. littorale is found on littoral swamp-land and 

 wet bottoms among sandhills on the coast-line, and the species 

 generally in damp or swampy land. It also occurs in Queensland and 

 Western Australia. It is also widely distributed over the tropical 

 regions of both the New and Old World. 



3. Paspalum brevifolium, Eliigge. 



Botanical name. — Brevifolium, from two Latin words signifying 

 " short-leaved " (brevis, folium) . 



Synonym. — Panicum tenuiflorum, R.Br. 



Vernacular names. — " The short-leaved Paspalum " is a name that 

 may be coined. 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii., 461). — Stems from a creeping or 

 much-branched base, erect, slender, 1 foot high, or rather more. 



Leaves short, narrow, flat, the sheaths usually villous or pubescent, the ligula 

 scarious, jagged. 



Spilces or panicle branches two or rarely three, digitate at the end of the peduncle, 

 filiform, 1 to 2 inches long. 



SpiJcelets scattered along one side of the rhachis, on short curved pedicels, ovate, 

 rather obtuse, or almost acute, about f line long, sprinkled with short, fine, 

 appressed, silky hairs. 



Empty glumes two, rather obtuse, nearly equal, thin, finely five-nerved. 



Value as a fodder. — A small grass, having a creeping underground 

 stem, from which leafy tufts are sent up, the broad, tender foliage 

 affording good but short early summer feed, the flowering stems very 

 slender, and from 1 to 2 feet high. (Bailey.) 



Habitat and range. — It extends from Port Jackson to Queensland 

 and Northern Australia, mostly in the coast districts. It is widely 

 spread over tropical Asia. 



