1896 CLIIi. GRAMINEiE. [Chloris, 



and hyaline, the 2nd keeled and tapering into a fine point. Flowering glume 

 not broad, membranous, keeled, ciliate at the end with long hairs and slightly so 

 on the margins, rather acute, sometimes notched, the awn very fine, 8 to 4 lines 

 long. . Terniinal empty glume very obtuse or truncate, slightly emarginate, the- 

 awn nearly as long as that of the flowering gluthe. — C, decora, Nees iii Steud. 

 Syn. Glum. i. 205. 

 Hab.: Boulia. 



9. C. *diStichophylla (leaves arranged in two rows), Lagasca. Oen. et Spec, 

 Nov. Diagn. 4 ; Trin. Spec. Gram. t. 308. A tall leafy ceespitose grass ; glabrous 

 except the inflorescence. Stems compressed, striate. Leaves distichous, the 

 sheaths loose, compressed, forming a sharp prominent keel ; ligula a short ciliate 

 membrane. Lamina 6 to 18in. long, 3 to 4 lines broad, of firm texture, unfolded 

 at the base, thin, flat, the apex bluntly pointed, keel sharp and prominent. 

 Panicle dense. Spikes 4 to 5in. long, fasiculate, the fascicles in whorls, at first 

 erect but soon drooping, dark-coloured. Spikelets subsessile, closely imbricate 

 on the slender triquetrous rhachis ; lower flowers herinaphrodite, upper ones 

 neuter. Glumes membranous, 1-nerved, outer one lanceolate, acute, with 

 usually a green midrib, 2nd with a dorsal bristle, flowering one with long ciliate 

 margins, terrninal empty one glabrous, truncate. 



Hab.: Brazil. Introduced, and appears likely to become naturalised. 



10. C. scariosa (dry), F. v. M. Fragm. vi. 85 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 614. 

 Star Grass. Stems erect, slender but rigid, 1 to 2ft. high. Leaves narrow with 

 subulate points or almost entirely flat in the larger specimens, glabrous. Spikes 



4 -to 6, dense, 1 to l^in. long. Spikelets sessile, 3 to 4 lines long. Lowest 

 glume narrow, hyaline, almost obtuse, scarcely keeled, about 2 lines long, the 

 2nd ratter longer with a more prominent keel. Flowering glume raised on a. 

 hairy rhachis of about 1 line, rather above 1 line long, very broad and concave, 

 prominently 3-nerved, ciliate with long hairs at the end, with a fine awn of 2 to^ 

 3 lines. Terminal empty glumes several' (4 to 7), the lowest two broader than 

 the flowering one, 5 to 7-nerved at the base, hyaline and not ciliate, very spread- 

 ing and at length rigidly scarious, the upper ones gradually smaller sessile and 

 not exceeding the outer ones. — Bail. 111. Mono. Gr. Q. i. 



Hab.: Eoekbampton, O'Shanesy ; Gracemere, Bowman ; Boweu Downs, Birch. 

 A beautiful grass, but oJ little value for pasture ; worthy of garden cultivation. 



70. ASTREBLA, F. v. M. 

 (Referring to the awn not being twisted.) 



Spikelets few-flowered, sessile or nearly so in the alternate notches of the 

 continuous rhachis of one or two simple secund spikes, the rhachis of the spikelet 

 articulate above the 2 outer glumes. Outer empty glumes 2, glabrous, acute, 

 many-nerved, unawned. Flowering glumes silky-hairy, 3-lobed, the central 

 lobe with a broad base tapering into a straight or curved not twisted awn, the 

 lateral lobes erect, rigid, 2 or 3-nerved. Palea with 2 prominent ciliate nerves or 

 keels. Styles distinct, very short. The spikes are usually single, very rarely 

 2 together at tha end of the peduncle. 



The genus is limited to Australia. 



1. A. pectinata (comb-like), F. v. M. Herb. ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 602. 

 An erect somewhat glaucous grass of 1 to 2ft., glabrous except sometimes a few 

 hairs at the orifice of the sheaths. Leaves flat, ending in long points, smooth 

 or scarcely scabrous. Spikelets sessile in the alternate notches of a secund spike 

 of two or more in., closely imbricate and turned to one side. Outer glumes '4 to- 



5 lines long, glabrous, acute, 9 or 11 -nerved, with scarious margins. Flowering^ 



