176 



Var. interrupta, Bentli. A larger plant, often 3 or 4 feet high, with 

 long flat leaves and large spikelets in dense distinct clusters. From 

 the central coast districts to the mountain ranges and tablelands and 

 northward into Queensland. 



Yar. patens, Benth. Panicle loose, often spreading. Spikelets 

 rather small, most of them shortly pedicellate. Port Jackson to Blue 

 Mountains ; also Victoria. 



Value as a fodder. — A valuable grass, producing for many months 

 of the year abundance of palatable and nutritious fodder. It shoots 

 and seeds well. 



" Perennial ; stems 1 to 2 feet high, common on both rich and 

 poor soil, producing abundance of foliage. This grass has the great 

 merit of keeping its verdure during the driest summers. A. good 

 fattening grass. Bears hard feeding. Produces plenty of seed." 

 (Bacchus.) 



" Keeps beautifully green in the driest Australian summer, even on 

 poor soil. Pastor Kempe pronounces it to be the best of all grasses 

 in Central Australian pastures. Eaten down by sheep, but readily 

 springs up again from the root. No drought seems to subdue it." 

 (Mueller.) 



Yar. interrupta. A stronger grower than the normal species, but 

 its qualities are much the same. 



" This variety and var. patens have sprung up at Mudgee, New South 

 Wales, and are increasing. At present large patches of the river flats 

 are covered with it, but neither sheep nor cattle seem to like it." 

 (Hamilton, Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W. [2] ii, 302.) 



Mudgee is over the Dividing Range, but the opinion of Mr. Bailey 

 in regard to the coastal Queensland form is much the same : — " This 

 is a very tall, or long, straggling, often hoary form, met with along the 

 coast. Yery harsh, and of little value as a fodder, but useful for 

 binding coast sands, and affording a bite for stock in such localities." 



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

 in Asia. Widely diffused over New South Wales. 



" E. Brownii is abundantly naturalised about the Bay of Islands, 

 and is proving itself a valuable grass." (Sec, Auckland Acclim. Soc, 

 quoted by Bacchus.) 



14. Eragrostis laniflora, Benth. 



Botanical name. — Laniflora — Latin, laha, wool; flos,flor is, flower, the 

 glumes being enveloped at the base with woolly hairs. 

 Botanical description (B. Fl., vii, 648). — 



Rhizome and somewhat bulbous bases of the stems woolly-hairy. 



Stems 1 to 1^ feet high, slightly cottony at the nodes. 



Leaves narrow, flat, with scabrous sheaths. 



Panicle loose, 4 to 6 inches long, with few divaricate or reflexed scabrous branches. 



Spikelets very shortly pedicellate, and not numerous, divaricate, or reflexed, very 



flat, 4 to 8 inches long, nearly 2 lines broad, with twenty to fifty flowers, the 



rhachis tardily articulate. 



