Pennisetum.] CLIII. GEAMINEJl. 1841* 



the feathery branches. — F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 110; Turn. Ag. Gaz. N.S.W. 

 ii. PI. XXXV ; Setaria comprcssa, Eunth, Enum. i, 150 ; Gymnothrix compressa,. 

 Brongn. in Duperr. Voy. Bot. 103, t. 9. 



Hab.: Brisbane River, Moraton Bay, F. v. Mueller, Leichhardt and others ; Rockhampton and 

 neighbourhood district, Thozet and others ; and many other localities. 



2. P. arnhemicum (from Atnhem's Land), F. v. M. Fragm .viii. 109 ; Benth. 

 Fl. Austr. vii. 496. Stems erect, leaves narrow, rather rigid, glabrous and 

 glaucous, the ligula very short, split into cilia. Spike rather dense, about 4in. 

 long, appearing woolly from the plumose bristles. Involucres almost sessile, of 

 6 to 10 unequal bristles, the longest about fin. long, all very densely woolly- 

 plumose with long soft white hairs. Spikelet solitary, shortly pedicellate wilbin 

 the involucre, about 2 lines long, quite concealed in the wool. Outer glume about 

 ^ the length of the spikelet, 2nd and 3rd glumes nearly equal, both empty and 

 about 7-nerved. Fruiting glume shorter, hard, smooth and shining. Styles 

 separate to the base or nearly so. 



Hab.: Some few tropical localities. 



14. PLAGIOSETUM, Benth. 

 (Alluding to the one-sided bristles like branchlets.) 



Spikelets 1-flowered, usually solitary between the barren branches of partial* 

 panicles or involucres, not awned, the involucres few and distant along th&- 

 rhachis of a simple panicle and falling off with the spikelets, the branches few 

 with unilateral bristle-like branchlets, rarely bearing a second spikelet. Glumes 

 4, the outer one short, the 2nd and Brd empty. Styles distinct. Nut enclosed in 

 the hardened fruiting glume and palea. 



The genus is limited to a single species, endemic in Australia. 



1. P. refractum (broken), Benth. in Hook. Ic. PL t. 1242 ; Benth. Fl. Austr.. 

 vii. 494. Apparently annual, much branched, 6in. to 1ft. high, glabrous, leafy 

 in the lower part, the leaves narrow. Involucres few, distant along a simple 

 terminal leafless rhachis, all pedunculate, the peduncles spreading or reflexed, 3- 

 to 5 lines long, articulate at the base and falling off with the involucre and 

 spikelet. Involucre not completely surrounding the spikelet, about fin. long, the 

 bristles not plumose, imited at the base into 3 or 4 slightly flattened branches 

 with the minor branches or bristles along their inner face, the main branch 

 continuing the peduncle. Spikelet usually solitary on a short thick pedicel 

 between the branches, narrow, somewhat acuminate, about 3 lines, long. Outer 

 glume f the length of the spikelet or rather more ; 2nd and 3rd glumes both 

 empty, equal and many-nerved. Fruiting-glume hard, apparently smooth and 

 shining but minutely rugose under a lens. — Setaria refracta, F. v. M. Fragm. iii. 

 147 ; Pennisetum refractum, F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 109. 



Hab.: A few inland tropical situations. 



Occasionally but rarely the principal branch of the involucre is rather more flattened and ends 

 in a second spikelet, but the articulation is below the involucre as in Pennisetum, not under each 

 spikelet as in Setaria. — Benth. 



15. CENCHRUS, Linn. 

 (From the Eastern name of the Millet.) 

 Spikelets with 1 terminal hermaphrodite flower and sometimes a male one 

 below it, not awned, singly or 2 or 3 together within an ovoid or globular 

 involucre of numerous bristles, the inner ones usually broad and flattened, 

 connected at the ,base and hardened round the fruit, the involucres sessile or 

 pedunculate in a' simple spike or raceme and falling _ off with the spikelets. 

 Glumes 4, the outer one much smaller, sometimes minute, the 2nd and 3rd 



