1904 CLIII. GEAMINE^. [Eragrostis. 



3. E. imbecilla (feeble), Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 643. Stems tufted and 

 branched at the base, weak and filiform, ascending to from 6in. to 1ft. Leaves 

 very narrow, spreading. Panicle loose and slender, with few distant branches 

 mostly undivided. Spikelets few, pedicellate, 1^ to 2 lines long, rather loosely 

 4 to 6 -flowered, glabrous. Flowering glume scarcely above ^ line long, hyaline, 

 the lateral nerves almost or quite marginal. Palea curved, sometimes persistent, 

 but usually falling off with the glume on the rhachis disarticulating. — Poa 

 imbecilla, Forst. (name only) ; Spreng. Mant. i. Fl. Hal. 33 ; Hook. f. Handb. 

 N. Zel. Fl. 337, but not of E. Br.; P. Sprenffelii,K\inth. Enum. i. 363, wrongly 

 referred by Steudel to P. iwplexa, Trin. 



Hab.: Herbert's Creek, Bowman. 



4. E. leptocarpa (grain slender), Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 644. An elegant 

 slender grass, from under 1ft. to 2ft. high, with much of the habit, the flat leaves 

 and inflorescence of jB. mten-jyjta. Panicle at first narrow, at length spreading 

 with numerous much divided capillary branches, the lower ones often clustered 

 and in the larger specimens 6in. long and the whole panicle 9 or lOin., in other 

 specimens much smaller. Spikelets narrow-linear, 2 to 3 lines long, loosely 6 to 

 12-flowered, pale-coloured and shining, glabrous. Glumes very narrow, rather 

 acute, f line long, thin and hyaline, the lateral nerves not very conspicuous. 

 Palea nearly as long. Stamens usually 2, anthers very small. Grain oblong- 

 linear, sometimes very narrow and as long as the glume, in other specimens 

 shorter. 



Hab.L Mitchell district, Birch. 



5. E. megalosperma (grain large), F. v. M. Herb. ; Benth. FL Austr. vii. 

 644. Stems 2 to 3ft. high, the branches almost filiform but often rigid and 

 clustered. Leaves long and narrow, flat or convolute, glabrous. Panicle narrow 

 and compact, 3 to Sin. long, with erect branches. Spikelets sessile or shortly 

 pedicellate, erect, crowded, linear, about 3 lines long when fiilly out, rather 

 silvery-shining, loosely 6 to 8-flowered, the rhachis glabrous, scarcely articulate. 

 Flowering glumes about 1 line long, acute, the lateral nerves often scarcely 

 conspicuous at the base. Palea nearly as long, scarcely curved. Stamens usually 

 2, oblong. Grain broadly ovoid, often f as long as the glume, readily falling 

 away leaving the glume and palea more persistent. 



Hab.: Bockhampton, O'Shanesy ; Gwydir River, Leichhardt. 



6. E. pilosa (pilose), Beauv. Agrost. 71 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 645. A 

 tufted erect or ascending annual, 1 to near 2ft. high. Leaves narrow, usually 

 flat. Panicle 6in. to 1ft. long, narrow at first, spreading when in fruit, with 

 numerous long capillary divided branches. Spikelets 2 to 4 lines long, narrow 

 linear, usually of a dark leaden colour but pale when old,, loosely 6 to 20-flowered, 

 the rhachis scarcely articulate. Glumes thin, distinctly keeled, the lateral nerves 

 faint and short. Palea nearly as long, slightly ciliate on the keelSj often 

 persistent after the glumes have fallen away. Grain ovoid-oblong, smooth. — 

 Turner Austr. Gr. 26 ; Poa pilosa, Linn. ; Kunth, Enum. i. 829 ; P. verticiUata, 

 Cav. le. i. 63, t. 93; P. parvijlora and P. pellucida, E. Br. Prod. 180, 181; 

 E. parvijlora, Trin. in Mem. Acad. Petersb. 1831, 411 ; E. pellucida, Steud. Syn. 

 Glum. 279 ; P. tenella, Sieb. Agrostoth. n. 79-, not of Linn. 



Hab.: Broadsound, ij. Brown; Keonedy district, Daintree; Rookhampton and neighbouring 

 districts, Bowman, Thozet, O'Shanesy ; Brisbane River. 



A common weed in the warmer and some temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, 

 chiefly in the Old World, The hairs at the base of the branches of the panicle, which originally 

 gave rise to the specific name, are not observable in any of the Australian specimens and not 

 constant in European ones. — Benth. 



Affords a large amount of sweet food for the greater part of the year. 



