Sporobolus.] CLIII. GRAMINE^. 



1881 



erect almost imbricate or distant branches. Outer glumes almost hyaline, obtuse, 

 l-nerved, the lowest about ^ line, the 2nd | line long ; flowering glume about 1 

 hne.of a firmer consistence, broad but almost tapering to a point, l-nerved. Palea 

 nearly as long, faintly 2-nerved. Grain broadly obovoid, the very thin pericarp 

 sometimes appearing loose, though often evanescent or undistinguishable in the 

 dried state.— Kunth, Enum. i. 211; Bail. Ill, Mono. Gr. Q. i.; Turner Austr. 

 Gr. 52 ; Buch. In. Gr. N.Z. PI. xviii. ; Sporobolus teiiacissimus, Beauv.; Kunth, 

 Enum. I. 211; Vilfa tenacissima, Trin. Spec. Gram. t. 60; F. capensU, Beauv.; 

 Trin. Spec. Gram. t. 56. 



Hab : Brisbane Eiver, Moreton Bay, F. v. Mueller, Bailey, C. Stuart; Eoekhampton and 

 neighbouring districts, Bowman, O'Shanesy and others ; Bowen Downs, Birch. 

 Grain used for food by Clonourry natives. — Palmer and Roth. 

 The inflorescence infested with the fungus Helminthosporium Ravenelii, Curt. 



Generally spread over tropical and subtropical America, Africa and Asia, extending also into 

 Korfolk Island and New Zealand. 



Var. elongatus. Stems and leaves much more slender than the type, and the inflorescence 

 more elongated and interrupted S. elongatus, E. Br. Prod., S. tenacissimus, Beauv. 

 Hab.; Same as normal form. 



'4. S> diander{2-stamens), Beam.; Kunth, Enum. i. 213; Benth. Fl. Austr, 

 vii. 622. An erect forming tussacs, glabrous grass of 1 to 2 or even 3ft. Leaves 

 chiefly at the base, narrow, the upper sheaths not covering the stem. Panicle 

 narrow but loosely pyramidal. Bin. to above 1ft. long, the branches scattered, at 

 length spreading. Spikelets very shortly pedicellate or almost sessile, f to 1 line 

 long. Outer empty glumes very obtuse ; hyaline, the upper one about ^ line, the 

 other shorter. Flowering glume longer, slightly keeled, obtuse or almost acute. 

 Palea broad, obtuse, faintly 2-nerved and not so readily splitting as in the other 

 species. Stamens generally 3. Grain broadly obovoid, the pericarp not readily 

 separable.— Turner Austr. Gr. 51 ; 'Bail. 111. Mono. Gr. Q. i. ; Vilfa erosa, Trin. 

 Agrost. Vilf. 64. 



Hab. : A southern river-sidg species. 



Widely spread in East India. 



5. S. pulchellus (pretty), R. Br. Prod. 170; Bmith. Fl. Austr. vii. 623. 

 Stems tufted, 6in. to Ifc. high. Leaves chiefly at the base, flat or keeled, broad 

 or narrow, rather rigid, bordered by rigid cilia tuberculate at the base. Panicle 

 loosely pyramidal, 2 to 5in. long, with numerous capillary spreading branches 

 verticillate at regular intervals. Spikelets pedicellate, not ^ line long, shining. 

 Glumes almost hyaline, rather oh -use, slightly keeled, the 2nd outer empty one 

 and the flowering one nearly equal and similar, the lowest empty one about half 

 as long, narrow but obtuse. Palea very readily splitting in two. Grain globular, 

 enclosed in a loose hyaline pericarp. — Kunth, Rev. Gram. t. 123 (an unusually 

 narrow-leaved form and the remarkable cilia are not represented) ; Vilfapulcliella, 

 Trin. Agrost. Vilf. 37. 



Hab.: Endeavour Eiver, Banks and Solander; Kennedy district, Daintree; Elliot Eiver, 

 Bowman ; Peak Downs, Slater. 



6. S. Iiindleyi (after Dr. J. Lindley), Be^ith. Fl. Austr. vii. 623. "Yak-ka- 

 berry," Cloncurry, Prt/»n«)- ; " Unkeelyinkeela," Georgina, Cog'/iiaw; "Yakkapari," 

 Boulia, Roth. Nearly allied to S. pulchellus. Leaves narrow, not at all 

 or only very shortly ciliate. Panicle very loose, broadly pyramidal, 3 to 5in. 

 long and broad when fully out, the branches capillary, the lower ones elongated 

 in a dense verticil, the upper ones more scattered. Spikelets | to f line long. 

 Glumes very acute, the lowest outer one very small and narrow, the 2nd also 

 empty and the flowering glume nearly equal, usually dark coloured. Palea 

 usually divided to the base into 2 even at the time of flowering. Seed enclosed 



