AnthisHna,] OLIII. GEAMINEJl. 1871 



There are two varieties of this. The northern form, which is probably the true A. ciliata of 

 Linnraus, is not so tussooky, sprouts more from the Joints and forms large tangled masses, 

 and it is also very leafy. The other, A. anstralis, of R. Br. is an upright tussooky plant of which 

 also there is a glaucous form with larger leaves. 



On the southern forms may be seen at times the fungi Ustilago bromivora, Walldk. and 

 a variety of Cerebella paspali, Cke. and Mass. 



2. A. frondosa (leafy), R. Br. Prod. 200 ; Betith. Fl. Austr. vii. 542. Very 

 near A. ciliata, but upon a larger scale. Stems erect and branching, from 2 or 

 8ft. to twice that height, frequently flattened under the lower nodes. Leaves 

 glabrous or the upper sheaths ciliate. Leafy panicle dense, often nodding, the 

 leafy bracts narrow, ciliate on the back with long spreading hairs, the outer ones 

 2 to 3in. long. Splices or clusters as in A. ciliata, with the 4 involucral spikelets 

 sessile, the outer glume of the fertile spikelet very rigid, scarcely nerved, obtuse, 

 pubescent at the top with short rigid hairs. Awn as long as or often longer than 

 in A. ciliata. Many of the spikes reduced to the 4 involucral barren spikelets 

 surrounding a rudimentary one. — Bail. 111. Mono. Gt. Q. i. 



Hab.: Etheridge and many other northern localities. 



This species is sometimes infested with the fungus Ustilago bursa. Berk. 



3. A. avenacea (Oat-like), F. v. M. Fragm. v. 206; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 

 543. Oat Grass. Stems from a more or less silky-hairy or woolly base, 2 to 6ft. 

 high. Leaves very narrow, glabrous. Sheathing bracts narrow, membranous, 

 glabrous, 1 to 2in. long. Spikes or clusters all on rather long, slender, glabrous 

 or ciliate peduncles within the last bract. Barren spikelets either reduced to a 

 single several-nerved rigid glume with a small hyaline one inside, or more 

 developed, enclosing a male flower, the 4 involucral ones sessile. Fertile spikelets 

 about 4 lines long, the rigid outer glumes, especially the lowest, densely villous 

 with brown hairs. Awn long and ri^d as in the 2 preceding species. — Turner 

 Austr. Gr. 8 ; ^. basisericea, F. v. M. Fragm. v. 207. 



Hab.: Brisbane Biver, Bailey ; Condamine and Gwydir Eivers, etc , Leichhardt ; Eookhamp- 

 ton and other localities in the southern district, O'Shanesy, Bowman and others ; Peak Downs, 

 F. V. Mueller. 



48. ISEILEMA, Hack. 



Differs from Anthistiria in each spike being jointed below the involucral 

 spikelets on the top of its peduncle, and falling away from it as a whole after 

 flowsring ; whereas in Anthistiria the involucrant spikelets are persistent and the 

 rest of the spike deciduous. In the former case the dispersal of the spikelets is 

 supposed to be by the wind bnt in the latter it is supposed to be by the callus of 

 the bisexual spikelets becoming attached to animals. 



This genus is included in Anthistiria in Benth. and Hook. Gen. PI. but retained by Hooker in 

 the Fl. of Brit. Ind. 



It is well pointed out by Sir J. D. Hooker that one of the marked distinctions between 

 Anthistiria and Iseilema is in the dispersal of seed, viz.: In the first the hermaphrodite glumes 

 alone disarticulate, and are carried away by adhesion to the coats of animals, while in the latter 

 the articulation being below the involucrant spikelets the whole is carried away by the wind. 



1. I. WEitchellii (after Sir Thos. Mitchell), Anders. Monogr. Androp. 24. 

 Landsborough Grass. Quite glabrous annual grass, sometimes forming dense 

 leafy masses from 6 to 18in. high. Leaves flat, appearing almost articulate on 

 the short flat prominently striate sheaths. Floral leaves or bracts with coriaceous 

 sheaths and short lanceolate laminse. Panicle small, dense, almost cyme-like as in 

 Apluda, with very numerous small spikes or clusters, each subtended by a 

 scarcely longer bract. Spikelets scarcely 2 lines long, glabrous, the 4 involucral 

 ones pedicellate, the fertile one rather longer than the 2 pedicellate barren ones 

 beside it. Glumes all thin, th& outer one acute with aeteral green nerves, the 2nd 



