51 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 490). — A tall, erect, stout, glabrous 

 plant, nearly allied to P. decomposition. 



Leaves long and narrow. 



Ligula reduced to a ring of cilia, the nodes glabrous. 



Panicle large and loose, often 1 to 1^ feet long, with numerous long slender divided 



branches, the lower ones usually verticillate, scabrous as well as the rhachis. 

 Spikelets all pedicellate, nearly 1^ lines long. 

 Outer glume often as long as the others, three or five-nerved, tapering into a long 



point sometimes ciliate at the end. 

 Second and third glumes nearly equal, acutely acuminate, seven or nine-nerved, the 



third with a palea often nearly as long, but no stamens in any of the specimens 



examined. 

 Fruiting glume much shorter, obtuse, smooth, and shining. 



Var., tenuior. — More slender, panicle not so large, and less scabrous, 

 and the glumes less acute (the form found in this Colony). 



Value as a fodder. — A coarser plant than P. decompositum, which, 

 however, it resembles in value for grazing purposes. 



Other uses. — u The fibre is peeled from the under surface of the 

 leaf, by breaking it in the middle across with a sudden jerk while 

 held between the fingers, and drawing the threads away. They are 

 twisted up at once into twine by the Cloncurry (Queensland) natives. 

 (E. Palmer.) 



The aborigines sometimes used the grain for food. 



Habitat and range. — Found in this Colony, and also Queensland 

 and Northern Australia. With us it has only been found in the north- 

 west of the Colony, but in the other colonies in the Coast districts. 



Reference to Plate. — a, Portion of a panicle, note the pedicellate spikelets ; B, 

 Spikelet, showing relative size of outer glume ; c, Spikelet dissected, showing outer 

 glume, 2nd, and 3rd glume*; d, Fruiting glume and its palea. 



54. Panicum prolutum, P.v.M. 



Botanical name. — Prolutum — Latin for soaked or drenched, the' 

 grass being usually found in damp situations. 

 Where figured. — Agricultural Gazette. 

 Botanical description (B. Fl., vii., 490). — 

 Stems from a branching base erect, rigid, 1 to 2 feet high. 

 Leaves rather rigid, the margins involute when dry, glabrous and glaucous. 

 Ligula very prominent, scarious, truncate, or slightly jagged. 



Panicle 3 to 6 inches long, of numerous slender divided branches, the lower ones 

 clustered, erect, and enclosed at the base by the last sheath, or at length exserted 

 and spreading. 

 Spikelets on filiform pedicels, ovoid, acute, glabrous, about 1| lines long. 

 Empty glumes rather rigid, prominently nerved, the outer one obtuse, with scarious 

 margins, more than half the length of the spikelet, three or five nerved, the 

 second and third nearly equal, acute, five or seven nerved, no palea in the third. 

 Fruiting glume smooth and shining. 



Botanical note. — Eeadily distinguished from all other members of 

 the group by the much longer, non-ciliate ligule. 



Value as a fodder. — Possessing much the same properties, and of 

 much the same value as P. decompositum, and, like that grass, one of 

 the most valuable of our interior species. 



