137 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 593). 

 Stems from a thick horizontal rhizome, stout, 3 to 5 feet high. 

 Leaves long, narrow, convolute when dry, glabrous, the upper one w th a long loose 



sheath. 

 Panicle dense, rather secund, 3 to 6 inches long. 

 Spikelets pedicellate, about ^ inch long, five- to eight-flowered. 

 Outer glumes scarcely so long, the lowest rather obtuse, the second tapering to a 



sharp point. 

 Flowering glumes densely ciliate on the margins, with very few hairs scattered on the 



back, the lobes broad, tapering into short awns, the central awn long, flat, and 



much twisted below the bend. 



Value as a fodder. — This Alpine grass is tall enough to hide sheep, 

 and is a coarse, strong grass, but much liked in spite of its coarseness. 

 (Helms.) It reminds one somewhat of Blady Grass (Imperata) , when 

 not in flower. Horses feed on it greedily. 



Habitat and range. — Forms large patches of rich foliage, up to nearly 

 the very summits of the highest peaks in the Australian Alps of both 

 New South Wales and Victoria. 



7. Danthonia racemosa, TL.Br. 



Botanical name. — Racemosa, Latin, " very full of clusters '/' in 

 botanical language, racemose, having inflorescence in a raceme. 



Synonym. — Danthonia penicillata, F.v.M. in Census. 



Vernacular names. — A "Mulga Grass." It derives its vernacular 

 name from being only found where the Mulga tree (Acacia aneura and 

 other species) grows; seeNeurachne. "Bunch Danthonia." (Bacchus.) 



Botanical description (B. Fl. vii, 594). 



Stems slender, 1 to 2 feet high. 



Leaves very narrow, almost setaceous, glabrous, or sprinkled with spreading hairs. 



Spikelets, in the typical form, singly and very shortly pedicellate, or almost sessile, or 



rather distant along the rhachis of a simple raceme, but sometimes more 



approximate, and the lower pedicels with two spikelets. 

 Spikelets narrow, erect, under i inch long, the outer glume nearly as long. 

 Flowering glumes 6 to 8, or more in some varieties, hairy at the base and margins, 



glabrous, or with very few hairs on the back, but the hairs variable, the marginal 



ones sometimes long in a dense tuft on each side of the lobes, sometimes in 



several distinct marginal tufts. 

 Lateral lobes in the typical form broad, with short fine points, but more awned in 



some varieties. 



Var. obtusata, F.v.M. A smaller plant, leaves more hairy. Lateral 

 lobes of the flowering glumes with scarcely any points. New England. 



Var. biaristata, Benth. Lateral lobes of the flowering glumes broad, 

 but with rather long points or awns. New South Wales, Victoria, 

 South Australia and Tasmania. 



Var. multiflora, Benth. Spikelets often two together, and all 

 approximate. Flowers rather numerous in the spikelet. Hunter 

 Eiver and New England, also Queensland and South Australia. 



Value as a fodder. — A grass widely distributed over Australia in 

 one or other of its forms. It is one of the best of the Danthonias for 

 the pastoralist, forming a good close turf of nutritious, palatable 

 grass. " The principal grass of which a large portion of Victorian 

 pastures is composed. It is very hardy, and bears over-stocking better 



