110 



Mr. Forester Kidston, of Condobolin, thus alludes to it : " The cele- 

 brated No. 9 grass, the most hurtful of all our grasses, the seed going 

 right through to the paunch/' No. 9 is, of course, an allusion to the 

 gauge of fencing- wire, and other Aristidas, Xerotes longifolia, and 

 other plants with exceptionally tough leaves are also referred to by 

 country people as No. 9 or No. 10. 



Habitat and range. — Found in all the colonies except Tasmania, 

 principally on the sand-hills in the arid districts. 



9. Aristida depressa, Eetz. 



Botanical name. — Depressa — Latin, weighed or pressed down, signi- 

 fying, in a botanical sense, spread out or flattened down, referring to 

 the panicle. 



Vernacular name. — ( ' Beardy grass." 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 563). — A very variable grass, 

 distinguished by its narrow spikelets crowded and almost imbricate 

 along the short erect branches of a narrow compact panicle. 



Stems, in the Australian specimens, ascending or erect, above 1 foot high. 



Leaves narrow, ending in subulate points. 



Panicle from 2 to 3 inches long and spikelike, to 6 or S inches and interrupted at the 



Spikelets sessile along the branches and often purplish. 



Older glumes about 3 lines long. 



Flowering glumes usually longer. 



Axons sessile, varying from 4 to 6 lines or rather more. 



Probably the same as the tropical American A. dispersa, Trin. et 

 Rupr. (Benth.) 



Value as a fodder. — Usually a dry unpalatable, innutritious grass. 

 " Opinions vary as to the value of this grass for fodder. Stewart 

 described it as a favourite fodder for cattle in the Punjab. Symonds 

 says that it is a troublesome grass which cattle will not eat. Colstream 

 states that it is grazed, but is too short and light to stack; that it covers 

 the Hussar bir in vast sheets, is too fine to cut with a scythe, but is 

 nutritious, and particularly relished by cattle. In the Jhang Set- 

 tlement Report it is stated to be a grass of average quality, and is 

 found growing in Kallar. Neither at Ajmere nor at Jeypur is it 

 considered to be a good fodder grass. " (Duthie.) 



Habitat and range. — Found on sandy or light loamy soils in New 

 South Wales, and in Queensland. In our own Colony occurring* in the 

 dry country, and found sparingly on the tableland, Dividing Range, 

 and northern coast district from Hunter River. It is also a native 

 of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. 



49. STIPA. 



Spikelets one-flowered, on filiform pedicels or nearly sessile in a 

 terminal panicle, the rhachis of the spikelet articulate above the two 

 outer glumes. 



Glumes three, narrow ; two outer, usually persistent, membranous, 

 keeled, empty, unawned ; terminal or flowering glume narrow, rigid, 



