82 



Value as a fodder. — An excellent grass, nutritious and palatable, 

 and making great growth if reasonably conserved. Many people look 

 upon it as but little inferior in value to the true kangaroo-grass. In 

 the northern territory of South Australia, the Rev. J. E. Tenison- 

 Woods thus refers to it : " It was usually a coarse jungle-grass, more 

 like a rush or sedge, and often completely concealing the horses. The 

 species was most commonly A. refractus, a worthless, weedy grass, 

 only good when young and green. In the dry state the horses would 

 not touch it." This unfavourable report refers to a tropical locality. 



Other uses. — The roots (in common with those of other species of 

 the genus) are aromatic, and perhaps for that reason the coarse hay 

 of the species is used by Fijians for mattresses. Hack el states that in 

 Tahiti the natives prepare a cosmetic oil, "monoi," from it. 



Habitat and range. — Found in Victoria and Queensland, besides New 

 South Wales. It occurs in most parts of the Colony, right from the 

 coast districts to the west. It is also a native of the Pacific Islands 

 and of Japan. 



14. Andropogon laclinatherus, Benth. 



Botanical name. — Laclinatherus — Greek, lachne, soft woolly hair; 

 ather, an ear of corn, in reference to the vestiture of the spike. 

 Synonym. — A. Jilipendulinus, Hoch., in Muell. Census. 

 Where figured. — Agricultural Gazette. 

 Bot&nical description (B. Fl., vii, 534). 

 Stems rather slender, erect, about 2 feet high. 

 Leaves narrow, glabrous or sprinkled with long hairs. 

 Nodes not bearded. 

 Panicle looser than in the preceding species, with slender but not very long branches, 



solitary or clustered within sheathing bracts or floral leaves. 

 Peduncles exceeding the last sheathing bracts, bearing each two spikes, but nob 

 digitate, one attached lower down than the other, each £ to f inch long without 

 the awns. 

 Sessile spihelets three or four, the lowest sometimes containing only a male flower,, 



the others with a hermaphrodite flower, 2 to 2| lines long, slightly hairy. 

 Outer glume obtuse, about nine-nerved. 

 Second rather shorter, obtuse, three-nerved. 

 Third very narrow, thin, and hyaline. 

 Axon or terminal glume on a short filiform base, 1 to 2 inches long, the lower part rigid 



and hirsute with rufous hairs. 

 Pedicellate spikelets narrow, acute, 2| to 3 lines long, usually containing a male 



flower. 

 Older glume many-nerved, often produced into a fine point. 



Value as a fodder. — We have little knowledge as to its value for 

 this purpose in New South Wales. It probably resembles most of 

 its congeners, in being a very useful grass when young and tender. 



Speaking of Queensland, Bailey says : " During the early part of 

 summer it affords a fair amount of herbage, after which it sends up a 

 number of flattened long stems, the greater part of which is occupied 

 with the branching dry inflorescence, which is seldom touched by 

 stock." 



Habitat and range. — Found in New South Wales and Queensland. 

 In our Colony it extends from the north coast to New England, being 

 usually found in poor, stony ground. It is also found in East Africa. 



