158 



76. DIPLACHNE. 



Spikelets several- often many-flowered, linear, sessile, or very 

 shortly pedicellate, but distant along the rhachis of a simple spike or 

 of the elongated branches of a simple panicle, the rhachis of the 

 spikelet articulate and usually hairy under the flowering glumes. 



Outer empty glumes keeled, acute, unawned. 



Flowering glumes with a hyaline shortly two-lobed apex, the keel 

 produced into a short point or awn between or shortly below the lobes. 



Palea thin, prominently two-nerved. 



Styles short, distinct. 



Ghrain smooth, free. 



Spike slender, simple .. ... ... ... ... ... ..1. D.lolliformis. 



Spikes numerous in a simple panicle. Spikelets usually dark- 

 coloured, 4 lines long or rather more, with more than six 

 flowers, rhachis glabrous, or nearly so ... ... ... ... 3. D.fusca. 



1. Diplacline loliiformis, F.v.M. 



Botanical name. — Diplacline Greek, diplous two-fold or double, 

 achne, chaff (glume), the flowering-- glume being two-lobed; loliiformis, 

 Latin, having the general appearance of the grasses belonging to the 

 genus Lolium. 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 618). — A slender apparently annual 

 erect grass, usually 6 to 8 inches, but a few specimens above 1 foot 

 high. 



Leaves chiefly at the base, short and narrow, usually sprinkled with a few long 

 hairs, the sheaths ciliate at the orifice, with a short jagged ligula. 



Spike slender and simple, 2 to 4 inches long, on a long peduncle. 



Spikelets sessile, rather distant, erect and appressed, turned somewhat to one side, 

 narrow, 3 to 4 lines long, six- to twelve-flowered, the rhachis hairy round the 

 flowering glumes. 



Flowering glumes about 1 line long, glabrous, three-nerved, the central nerve pro- 

 duced into a fine point or awn shortly exceeding the hyaline lobes. 



Value as a fodder. — Quite a small grass, eaten by sheep, but not of 

 much value for forage. 



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

 Western Australia. An interior species. Found also in Asia. 



3. Diplacline fusca, Beauv. 



Botanical name. — Fusca, Latin, brownish or tawny, referring to 

 the colour of the spikelets. 



Where figured. — Agricultural Gazette. 



Botanical description (B. FL, vii, 619). — A glabrous erect grass of 



several feet. 



Leaves narrow, convolute when dry, with long loose sheaths, the ligula jagged. 

 Panicle narrow, 6 inches to 1 foot long, with erect branches, the lower ones long. 

 Spikelets sessile or nearly so, rather distant, erect, linear, six- to ten-flowered, about 



4 lines long or rather more and straw-coloured, or longer and dark, the rhachis 



glabrous or slightly hairy under each glume. 

 Flowering glumes nearly 2 lines long, shortly ciliate on the margins in the lower part, 



prominently three-nerved, the keel produced into a short point between or just 



below the short hyaline terminal lobes. 

 Keels of the palea shortly ciliate. 



