1838 CLIII. GRAMINE^. [Oplismen'U&, 



of 4 to 8 or rarely more distant 1-sided branches or spikes, of which the lowest 

 slender ones are 2in. Long in the most luxuriant specimens, scarcely ^in. long in 

 others, the upper ones or somstimes the greater number reduced to short clusters^ 

 •Spikelets glabrous pubescent or hirsute, rather above 1 line long, in distinct 

 clusters of 2 or 3 each along the longer branches, crowded on the. shorter onesv 

 Glumes 3, lower ones membranous, 5-nerved, the lowest not much shorter than 

 the others tapering into a rather long smooth awn, the 2nd with a small point or 

 short awn, or only acuminate, the 3rd rather larger, awnless, with a small 

 hyaline palea or rudimentary flower in its axil ; flowering glume nerveless, 

 smooth and hard as well as the palea round the grain. — Turn. Ag. Gaz. N.S.W. 

 ii. PI. xli. ; Panicum coio^jositjtm, . Linn. ; Trin. Spec. Gram. ii. t. 187, 188, 

 190 ; F. V. M. Fragm. viii. 199 ; Oriho}wr/on eompositus, R. Br. Prod. 194. 



Hab.: Shoalwater Bay and Broadsound, K. Brown ; Cape York, Daemel ; Endeavour Eiver^ 

 A. Cunningham; Goold and Dunk Islands, l/'GiZZiuray,; Eockingham Bay, Z)a!Jac7»^. 



2. O. setarius (Setaria-Iike), Fiton. and Schult. ; Kuntll, Emuii. i. 139 ; Bentli. 

 Fl. Austr. vii. 492. Very near the sleiider forms of 0. eompositus, and might be 

 included in that species, but the spikes or branches of the panicle are all reducedi 

 to single sessile clusters of spikelets, or the lowest rarely slightly elongated intO' 

 2 distinct clusters. Leaves always narrow-lanceolate.— rPa>wcu)» setarium, Lam. 

 lUust. i. 170. 



Hab.: Keppel Bay, R. Brown ; Moreton Bay, <7. Sttiart. 



Var. fflmuZus. Softly villous. This is the Orthopogon cemulus, E. Br. Prod. 194 (Opfcm£7!us 

 amulns, Kunth, Enum. i. 142). 



Var. imbecillis. Glabrous or nearly so. This is the Orthopogon flaccidus and 0. imbecitlis, E.. 

 Br. Prod. 194 {Oplismenus flaccidus and 0. imbecillis, Kunth, Enum. i. 142 ; Panicum imhecille, 

 Trin. Spec. Gram. t. 191). 



11. ARUNDINELLA, Raddi. 

 (Prom its reedy appearance.) 



Spikelets with 1 terminal hermaphrodite flower and often a second male one- 

 below it, in a loose terminal panicle. Glumes 4, the 8 outer ones often pointed 

 but not awned, the 3rd with a palea or a male flower in its axil ; terminal flower- 

 ing glume smaller, thinner, with a fine awn twisted in the lower part and bent 

 back at or below the middle. Palea smaller. ' Styles distinct. Grain enclosed 

 in the more or less stiffened glume and palea, free from them. 



A tropical or subtropical genus, chiefly Asiatic. 



1. A. nepalensis (of Nepaul), Tri7i. Spec. Grain, t. 268 ; Benth. Fl. Austi- 

 vii. 545. An erect glabrous perennial, attaining 6 to 8ft. Leaves narrow, the- 

 ligula short, minutely ciliate. Panicle narrow, dense or loose, erect or slightly 

 spreading, varying from 4 to 6in. in the smaller specimens to above 1ft. irt 

 luxuriant ones, the lower branches densely clustered. Spikelets all or mostly 

 pedicellate, narrow, about 2 lines long, the 3 outer glumes usually 5-nerved,. 

 tapering to short points, the lowest rather shorter than the others, the 3rd rather 

 thinner, with a male flower in its axil. Terminal flowering glume smaller and 

 thinner at the time of flowering, slightly notched with minute obtuse or acute- 

 points on each side of the awn not produced into bristles. Palea auriculate on 

 each side near the base. — 'A . brasiliensis, Raddi. Agrost. Bras. 37, t. i. fig. 3 r 

 Hook, in Fl. Brit. Ind. vii. 73 ; Acratherum miliaceum, Link, Hort. Bot. Berol. 

 i. 230. 



Hab.: Brisbane Eiver, Moreton Bay, BaiZei/ ; Dry-beef Creek, Letcftftardt ; Bookhampton and' 

 Beighbourhood, Thozet, O'Shanesy ; Darling Downs, Law. ; Springsure, Wuth ; Herbett'ft 

 Creek, Bowman ; Epckingham Bay, Dallachy. A common coarse hillside grass. 



Widely distributed over the hilly districts of tropical Asia, extending to South Africa. 



