1888 CLIII. GEAMINE^. [Eriachne. 



11. I!, mucronata (mucronate), R. Br. Prod. 184 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 ■vii. 632. Stems very slender but rigid, about 1ft. high. Leaves short, spreading, 

 subulate, with fine points, the lower sheaths sprinkled with rigid hairs or 

 glabrous, the upper ones distant. Panicle rather loose, 1 to l^in. long, of few 

 spikelets closely resembling those of E. obtusa, but rather larger, and the flowering 

 ■glumes tipped with short points exceeding the outer glumes. — E. breoifolia, 

 R. Br. I.e. ; Aira mucronata, Spreng. Syst. i. 276. 



Hab.: Endeavour Biver, Banks and Solander ; Dunrobin and other localities near 

 Eockhampton, O'Shanesy, Thozet. 



12. B. Obtusa (obtuse), R. Br. Prod. 184; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 632. 

 A variable grass, usually 1 to 2ft. high, often branched in the lower 

 part. Leaves narrow, flat or subulate, glabrous or the lower sheaths sprinkled 

 with rigid hairs. Panicle loose, sometimes much branched and 4in. long, 

 ■sometimes almost reduced to a raceme of half-a-dozen spikelets. Spikelets ovoid, 

 about 2 lines long, appearing acute when young, assuming the obtuse aspect 

 when in fruit. Outer glumes membranous, acute, with fewer nerves than most 

 species (usually 5), sprinkled on the back and ciliate with a few long hairs, 

 rarely quite glabrous. Flowering glumes about as long, more obtuse, rarely with 

 a minute point, densely ciliate to the top and sprinkled on the back with 

 spreading hairs. Pale entire, slightly hairy. Grain much flattened. — Turner Ag. 

 Gaz. N.S.W. ii. 



Hab.: Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, E. i'roion, Henne ; Endeavour Eiver, A. Cunni-ng- 

 ■hain ; King's Creek, Bowman ; Springsure, Wuth. Common on Downs country. 



62. MICRAIRA, F. v. M. 

 (Small Aira; resemblance of plant.) 



Spikelets 2-flowered, the flowers both hermaphrodite or the lower male, all 

 small, in small loose panicles with filiform spreading branches, the rhachis of the 

 spikelet articulate above the empty glumes and not produced above the flowering 

 ones. Glumes awnless, 2 outer empty ones equal, membranous, broadly 

 lanceolate, faintly nerved. Flowering glumes close above the empty ones, equal, 

 broad, truncate many-nerved, membranous. Palea several-nerved but 2 of the 

 nerves very prominent. Styles distinct, with short stigmas. Fruiting glumes 

 •and palea enclosing the grain but not hardened. 



The genus is limited to the Australian species, which is endemic. 



1. IVE. subulifolia (leaves awl-shaped), E. o. M. Fragm, v. 208 ; Benth. Fl. 

 Austr. vii. 624. Mountain Couch. A glabrous prostrate or creeping perennial, 

 "with short ascending branches, covered at the base with the short broad closely 

 imbricate sheaths of old leaves. Leaves in short dense tufts at the ends of the 

 'branches, hnear-subulate, erect, under -^in. long, the ligula split into cilia. 

 Pedancles from the tufts erect, filiform, 1 to 2in. long, encased at the base in 

 2 or 3 long narrow leaf-sheaths. Panicle broad and loose, ^in. long or rather 

 more, with capillary spreading slightly divided branches. Spikelets pedicellate, 

 scarcely above ^ line long, usually dark-coloured, glabrous. Outer glumes as 

 long as the flowering ones. 



Hab : Glasshouse Mountains, W. Hill ; Rockingham Bay, Dallachy ; on rocks sometimes 

 ■completely covering them with a dense springy turf. 



63. CCELACHNE, R. Br. 



(Referring to the hollow glumes.) 



Spikelets 2-flowered, the upper one usually female, the lower one hermaphrodite, 

 a,ll small in loose or narrow panicles, the rhachis of the spikelet glabrous, 

 articulate, produced between the 2 flowering glumes, but not beyond them. 



