1814 OLin. GRAMINE-E, [Paspahm. 



distinctly 3-nerved. Fruiting glume bardmed and very faintly 8-nerred or the 

 central nerve alone pereeptible.-^F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 156 ; P. Uttorale; R. Br. 

 Prod. 188 ; Trin. Spec. Gram. i. t. 112. 



Hab.: In Quetnsland, this species is represetited by the two following varieties. 



Var. 'normalff A rather broad-leaved creeping grass which has been introduced and bag 

 become naturalised in many wet localities, many South Queensland fresh-water swamps being 

 now overrun with it. It is the common grass of our town gutters ; is a ma h more rank grass 

 than the Australian form found in brackish swamps. 7^ .<L 



Var. littorale. This has much shorter running underground stems than the introduced 

 form and also differs in its narrower leaves, erect stems, and being only met with in coast 

 swamps, where it forms a most nutritious pasture. These two varieties keep their distinctive 

 characters when grown side by side on damp land, or near fresh-water swamps, but this latter 

 thrives best and is always found in brackish swamps where the former cannot live ; Bail. III. 

 Mono. Gr. Q. i. , , . 



Widely distributed over the tropical regions of both the New and the Old World. 



6. P. brevifolium {shQtt-\e>KmS),Fl^gS','Kunth,ETtUm.\.^%\ Benth.Fl. 

 Austr. yii. iQ\. Stems from a creeping or mUch-branohed= base erect,- slender, 

 1ft. high or rather more. Leaves sHdrt, narrow, flati the -deaths usually villous 

 or pubescent, the ligula scarious, jagged. Spikes or ^siniele-branehes -2 or rarely 

 8, digitate at the end of the peduncle, filiform, 1 to 2in..long. Spikelets-Scatter^d 

 along one aide of the rhachis, on short curved pedicels, ovate, rather obtuse or 

 almost acute, about | line long, sprinkled with short fine appressed gUkjjiJiairs. 

 Empty glumes 2, rather obtuse, nearly equal, thin, finely 5-nerved.-rP«»«cMm 

 tenuiflomm, R. Br. Prod. 193. 



Hab.: Eeppel Bay, ii. Br-oiun ; Brisbane Biver, Moreton Bay, F. vL Mueller, Bailey; Eock- 

 kampton, O'Shanesy ; Herbert's Creek, Bowman ; Archer's Flat, LeicMardt ; Rockingham 

 Bay, Dallachy. . ' 



An early summer grass. 



Var. propinquum. Bather taller. Leaves rather longer. Spikes' 2 to 3in. long. — Panicum 

 propinquuMi E. Br. Prod. 193. ' , ' 



Hab.: Oulf of Carpentaria, Jl. Brown, 



The species is widely spread over tropical Asia. 



7. P. minutiflorum (flowers small), Steud. Syn. Glum. i. 17 ; Denth. PI. 

 Austr. vii. 461. A rather tall glabrous grass, closely resembling at first sight the 

 Panicum parviflorum, Br., but with the characters of Pa^palum, and nearly allied 

 to P. brevifolium. Leaves flat, rather long and narrow, the ligula short not 

 ciliate. Spikes or panicle-branches rather numerous, filiform, alternate or the 

 upper ones clustered, 8 to 5in. long. Spikelets numerous, very shortly but 

 unequally pedicellate, narrow-ovate, rather acute, about f line long. Empty 

 glumes 2, nearly equal, prominently 8-nerved, glabrous or the margins ^minutely 

 ciliate. Fruiting glume acute, smooth and shining. 



Hab.: From Brisbane Eiver to Bockhampton, 

 An autumn grass. 



This species and P. irevifoUum, Flugge, are placed by Hocik. in Fl, Brit. Ind. vii. 17, under 

 P. longifl,orum, Betz. , 



Widely spread over tropical Asia. 



8. P. conjugatum (coupled), Berij. in Act. Hehet. vii. (1772) 129, (. 8; 

 Hook, in Ft.' Brit, Ind, vii 11. ; Trin. Sp. Oram.Ic. .102. A perennial .creeping 

 grass rooting at the nodes and sending up stout or slender stenis from 1^ to 8ft. 

 high. Leaves bright-green, 4 to Bin. long, J, to fin. broad, margJRs, ciliate, points 

 thread-like. Spikes 2, divergent ; 4 to 6in, long, spikelets imbricate, pale,. piano* • 

 convex; glumes with marginal, villous nerves, 8rd one coriaceous, apioulate, 

 white. 



Ha])).: Johnstone Eiver, and other tropiQal scrubs. 



Found also intropieal and subtropical regions of both the New and the Old World./ 



9. P*_platycaule(stem:biJoad.),iPoM-. Stems creeping. close to the ground 

 and rooting at the nodes ; internbdes very short, erect stems from each node, flat, 

 v6ry leafy. at the base,.abo«t 18 or 15in. high ; nodes -WDolly-b^iryr leaf-sheaths 



