175 



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

 As regards New South Wales, occurring from the coast district and 

 the tableland from the Illawarra northward ; as regards Queensland, 

 abundant on the high land about Brisbane, reaching almost to the 

 Darling Downs. 



10. Eragrostis diandra, Steud. 



Botanical name. — Diandra-diander , ante, p. 162. 

 Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 646). — 



Sterns 1 to 2 feet high. 



Leaves very narrow, often convolute, glabrous. 



Panicle usually contracted into an interrupted spike of 3 to 6 inches. 



Spikelets very numerous, rarely above 2 lines long, flat, scarcely 1 line broad, six-to 

 twelve-flowered, sessile in dense sessile clusters, the upper ones forming a 

 cylindrical spike 3 or 4 lines diameter, the lower clusters usually distant, the 

 lowest oblong or forming a cylindrical sessile spike of -i- inch or more. 



Flowering glumes closely distichous, thin, rather obtuse, the lateral nerve in the 

 centre of each side or near the margin. 



Rliachis tardily or not at all articulate. 



Palea nearly as long as the glume, incurved. 



Stamens two, with small anthers in the flowers examined, but perhaps sometimes 

 three. 



Grain ovoid. 



' ' An erect grass, very like E. Brownii — perhaps only one of its many 

 forms — the panicle never spreading, but remaining always spike-like. " 

 (Bentham.) 



Value as a fodder. — " Excellent for pasture and hay." (Bailey.) 

 Habitat and range. — Found in all the Colonies except Tasmania. In 

 New South Wales, occurring from the coast district to the tableland. 



11. Eragrostis Brownii, INees. 



Botanical name. — Brownii, in honor of Robert Brown, author of the 

 Prodromus and other works, perhaps the most eminent botanist who 

 has ever specialised on Australian plants. 



Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 64?6). — A very variable plant in 

 stature and aspect, usually above 1 foot high, with very narrow flat 

 or convolute leaves, glabrous except a few cilia at the orifice of the 

 sheaths, not by any means constant. 



Panicle sometimes simple and dense, a few inches long, almost spikelike with 

 numerous small densely clustered spikelets, always however, longer and more 

 acute than in E. diandra, sometimes with short spreading branches and few 

 spikelets, sometimes a foot long with few distant branches and long spikelets 

 singly scattered or in distinct clusters, and a great variety of intermediate forms. 



Spikelets always sessile or very nearly so, flat, varying from £ to ^ inch long, with 

 ten to forty flowers, the rliachis very tardily articulate. 



Flowering glumes closely distichous, the lateral nerve nearly central on each side and 

 prominent. 



Palea shorter than the glume, incurved, the keels usually minutely ciliate. 



Stamens usually three, but sometimes only two even in the larger spikelets. 



Grain ovoid-oblong, smooth. 



Botanical notes. — " Easily recognised by its closely packed florets 

 arranged in dark-coloured and flattened spikelets." (Duthie.) 



