Min-olcsna.] CLIII. GRAMINEyE. 1873 



Q. i. ; Turner Ag. Gaz. N.8.W. ii. PI.; Khrharta stipoides, Labill. PL Nov. Holl. 

 i. 91, t. 118; F. V. M. Fragm. vii. 90; Microlaina Oimnii, Hook. f. I.e. 105, 

 t. 155, A. 



Hab.; Brisbane River, Bailey ; Darling Downs, Leichliardt. 

 Also in New Zealand. 



51. ARISTIDA, Linn. 



(Said to be from Arista, an ear of corn.) 



Spikelets 1 -flowered, on filiform pedicels or nearly sessile in a terminal panicle, 

 the rhachis of the spikelet articulate above the 2 outer glumes. Glumes 3, 

 narrow, 2 outer usually persistent, keeled empty and unawned ; terminal or 

 flowering glume narrow, rigid, rolled round the flower, entire, with a terminal 

 trifid awn. Palea small, enclosed in the flowering glume. Styles distinct. 

 Grain narrow, enclosed in the hard upper glume but free from it, the whole 

 falling off with the stipes and awn as in Stipa. All the Australian species 

 glabrous, with convolute more or less subulate leaves. 



The genua is widely spread over the tropical and some temperate regions of the New and the 

 Old World. 



Section I. Artbratherum. — Aion articulate on the glume, entire and spirally twisted 

 helow the branches. Flowering glume much shorter than the outer ones. 



Awn 2 to Sin. long below the branches, which are at least as long . ... 1. A. hygrometrica. 



Awn about IJin. below the branches, which vary from IJ to i^ia 2. A. stipoides. 



Awn J to jin. below the branches, which vary from 1 to Sin. . . . . S. A. arenaria. 



Section II. Cliaeta/ria. — Awn not articulate and divided to the glume into 3 branches, the 

 glume itself when barren sometimes twisted but not the awn. Flowering glume about as long or 

 Longer than the outer ones. 



Panicle short broad and dense. Glumes Jin. long. Awns long .... 4. A. Behriana. 

 Panicle-branches very long, at length spreading, with few spikelets on long 



pedicfls Glumes at least Jin. long . . 5. A.leptopoda. 



Panicle loose, at length pyramidal. Pedicels short. Outer glumes 2 to 3 



lines long ; flowering glume muchlonger. Awns short 6. A.vagans. 



Panicle narrow, rather loose. Outer glumes as long as the flowering one. 



Glumes scarcely 3 lines. Awns under Jin. long 7. A.ramosa. 



Glumes 4 to 5 lines. Awns | to lin. long H. A. calyeina. 



Panicle narrow, dense. Spikelets sessile and crowded on the short 

 branches. Glumes 3 lines or the flowering rather longer. Awns 4 to 

 6 lines . 9. A. Adseensionis. 



1. A. hygrometrica (sensitive of moisture), R. Br. Prod. 174 ; Benth. Ft. 

 Austr. vii. 561. A glabrous, slender, rigid but brittle grass, branching at the 

 base, 1 to 2ft. high. Leaves subulate, rigid, with closely appressed sheaths 

 minutely ciliate at the orifice. Panicle narrow, scarcely branched, 6 to lOin. 

 iQng without the awns. Spikelets few, on short erect pedicels. Outer glume 

 obtuse, 8 to 9 lines long, prominently 3-nervei or sometimes 4-nerved by the 

 doubling of the outer one ; 2nd glume hard and convolute, nearly l^in. long, 

 acute, 1 -nerved ; flowering glume narrow, convolute, glabrous, about 3 lines long 

 on a hairy stipes of 1 to 1| line. Awn articulate on the glume, at least 2in. long 

 below the branches, the middle branch 2J to 4in., the lateral ones as long or 

 shorter. Palea a little more than 1 line long. Lodiculos at least as long, finely 

 striate at the base.— Beauv. Agrost. t. 8, f. 8 ; Trin and Rupr. Gram. Stip. 162. 



Hab.: Gulf country. 



2. A. Stipoides (Stipa-like), R. Br. Prod. 174; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 561. 

 Habit and foliage of A. hygrometrica but more slender. Panicle long with a 

 slender rhachis, the lower short erect branches usually bearing 2 spikehts, the 

 upper spikelets singly distant on short erect pedicels. Outer glume l-nerved, 

 about ^in. long, glabrous or minutely pubescent ; 2nd rigid, convolute, fin. ; 



