Stipa.] CLIII. GRAMINE^i. 1877 



3. S. setacea (bristly), E. Br. Prod. 174 ; Benth. Fl. Amtr. vii. 568. Stems 

 slender, 1 to 2ft. high or rarely more. Leaves fine and short, 'tufted at the base 

 of the stems, those on the stem few with long sheaths ; ligula elongated, not 

 ciliate, often broken off from dried specimens. Panicle loose, 4 to lOin. long, 

 glabrous. Outer glumes very thin, narrow, acuminate, 4 to 5 lines long. Flower- 

 ing glume much shorter, pubescent or villous, entire at the top. Awn glabrous, 

 very fine, \\ to above 2in. long. Palea as long as the glume, often hardened 

 when ripe.— Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 110, t. 157 ; Maid. Gr. N.S.W. 113, 



Hab.: Warwick to Wallangaria. 



4. S. semibarbata (half-bearded), R. Br. Prod. 174 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 

 568. Stems 1| to near Bft. high. Leaves narrow, convolute, often almost 

 subulate, glabrous or shortly pubescent, the ligula very short and ciliate. Panicle 

 oblong, -rather dense, 6 to lOin. long, with erect branches. Outer glumes 6 to 9 

 lines long, tapering into very thin long acute points. Flowering-glume silky- 

 hairy, scarcely 3 lines long, entire at the top. Awn varying from under 2in. to 

 near 4in. long, shortly plumose-hairy to the bend or sometimes nearly to the end. 

 —Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 110 ; F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 104. 



Hab.: Soutbein Downs country. 



5. S. pubescens (pubescent), R. Br. Prod. 174 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 569. 

 Stems 2 to 8ft. high, with pubescent nodes. Leaves narrow, convolute, the 

 ligula very short, usually ciliate. Panicle rather loose in the typical form, very 

 loose in some varieties. Outer glume unequal, the longest about -lin., scarious at 

 the end, aaJ often but not always truncate, notched or 3-toothed, rarely very 

 acute. Flowering glume much shorter, hairy, entire at the top. Awn above 2in. 

 long, pubescent in the lower part or glabrous. Palea rather long. — Sieb. 

 Agrostoth. n. 59, 66 ; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 110; F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 104 ; 5. 

 rudis, Spreng. Syst. Cur. Post. 31 ; S. commutata, Trin. and Rupr. Gram. 

 Stip. 49. 



Hab. : Southern Downs country- 



6. S. aristiglumis (outer glume pointed), F. v. M. in Trans. Vict. Inst. 

 1855, 43, Fragm. viii. 103 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 570. Very nearly allied to 

 iS. pubescens, and should probably be added to its varieties. Habit and foliage 

 the same. Panicle much looser, spikelets smaller, the outer glume usually pro- 

 duced into 1 to 3 fine points, the fruiting glume broader ; awn of S. pubescens but 

 usually glabrous. 



Hab.: Brisbane River, Bailey ; Darling Downs, Woolls. 



This is a strong-growing grass producing a large quantity of excellent fodder ; indeed it is one 

 of the very best species found on the Downs ; the seeds also are not so troublesome as some 

 others of the genus. 



7. S. scabra (rough), Lindl. in Mitch. Trap. Austr. 31 ; Bejith. Fl. 

 Austr. vii. 570. Stems in the typical form slender, tufted, 1 to 2ft. high. Leaves 

 subulate or filiform, rather short, glabrous or slightly pubescent, the upper sheath 

 scarcely dilated ; ligula very short, more or less ciliate. Panicle very loose, 6in. 

 to above 1ft. long, with long capillary slightly spreading glabrous branches and 

 pedicels. Outer glumes at first almost hyaline, at length, especially in western 

 specimens, often purplish or rigid, tapering into long points, the longest about 

 |in. long. Flowering glume about 2 lines long, silky-hairy, entire at the tip. 

 Awn fine, glabrous, 3in. long or more. Palea nearly as long as the glume. 



Hab.: Southern Downs country. 



The species, distinguished from 5. setacea by the short fine ligula, from S. pubescens by the 

 more slender habit, the outer glumes both with long fine points, and the long fine awns, 

 appears to be very abundant in the desert country and very vaiiable. 



Part VI. N 



