Eragrostis.] CLIII. GRAMINEiE. 1907 



numerous, shortly pedicellate, scattered or crowded, flat and thin, 2 to 4 or 

 rarely 6 lines long, 1 to IJ lines broad, 6 to 80-flowered. Glumes closely 

 distichous or rather loose, f line long, obtuse or almost acute, hyaline or purplish, 

 the lateral nerve prominent on each side at the base. Palea nearly as long, 

 glabrous. Stamens 8. Grain small, ovoid-oblong. — Bail, 111. Mono. Gr. Q. i. ; 



E. setifolia, Nees in Hook. Lond. Journ. ii. 419, not of Benth. ; Poa diandra, 



F. V. Muell. Rep, Rabb. Exped. 21, not of R. Br. 



Hab.: Mitchell district, Birch; and many other inland localities. 



15. Z:. Rankingi (after R. A. Ranking), Bail. Bot. Bull. 2. Stems 

 tufted, slender, leafy, erect, 6 to 12in. high, slightly knotted, and with little 

 woolly hairs at the base. Leaves' spreading, narrow-lanceolate when growing, 

 much convolute and appearing setaceous in drying, the lower ones and sometimes 

 all clothed with longish hairs 1 to 2in. long. Panicles 8 to 6in. long, the 

 branches divaricate, rather short. Spikelets pedicellate, scattered, dark-purplish, 

 about 3 or 4 lines long and not ^ line broad, with 8 to 16 flowers. Glumes 

 closely distichous, about ^ line long, obtuse or almost acute, very thin almost 

 hyaline, purple with a slight mark down the centre, the edges light-coloured and 

 oiliate. Palea very obtuse, long as the glume, edge cilate. Stamens 3 ; anthers 

 purple; grain ovoid, smooth, minute. 



Hab.: Bla^kail, B. A. Ranking ; Miles, Bailey. i 



It approaches E. eriopoda in its hairy leaves, but has not the bulbous base of that species. 



It also resembles E. chcetophylla, but its leaves are never entirely glabrous, and the spikelets are 



not more than half the width of either of those species. 



16. E. Stricta (upright), Bail. Bot. Bull. 3. A slender, erect, hairy, 

 tufted grass, of from 12 to 18in. high. Leaves narrow-linear, the upper ones 5 

 to over 6in. long, convolute so as to appear filiform when dry, the lower ones flat 

 about 2 lines broad, the woolly hairs about the mouth of the sheath almost 

 concealing the short scarious ligula. Panicle spikelike, 4 or 5in. long, formed of 

 8 or 9 alternate spikelets, erect and usually closely appressed to the rhachis, lower 

 ones pedunculate, upper ones nearly or quite sessile, under 3 lines long, and about 

 5 line broad, 4 to 6-flowered. Glumes closely distichous, outer keeled and acute, 

 with the keel and lateral nerves rough, flowering glumes obtuse, with ciliate 

 margins, palea also with ciliate margins. Stamens B. 



Hab.: Walsh River, T. Barclay-Millar. 



On this grass has been found the fungus Hypocrea (Hypocrella) axillaris, Cooke. 



17. E. lacunaria (pitted), F. v. M. Herb. ; Benth. El. Austr. vii. 649. 

 stems slender, almost filiform but rigid, 6in. to 1ft. or rarely IJft. high, the base 

 sometimes almost bulbous but glabrous. Leaves very narrow, almost setaceous, 

 usually short. Panicle loose, 2 to 4in. long, with short spreading rather rigid 

 branches. Spikelets few on the branches, shortly pedicellate, very narrow, 

 3 to 6 lines long, 10 to 24-flowered, terete or very slightly flattened. Flowering 

 glumes closely appressed, broad, obtuse, scarcely f line long, usually purple, 

 keeled, but the lateral nerves very faint or obsolete, the rhachis scarcely 

 articulate. Palea nearly as long. 



Hab.: Gracemere. O'Shanesy ; near the Barcoo, Birch ; Darling Downs, Law ; also in 

 Mitchell's subtropical collection. 



With the habit and inflorescence nearly of E. chtetophylla, this has the spikelets rather of 

 E. falcata. 



18. E. falcata (sickle-shaped), Gaudich. in Breyc. Voy. Bot. 408, t. 25 ; 

 Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 649. A slender tufted glabrous grass, varying from a few 

 inches to about 1ft. high. Leaves narrow, convolute, erect. Panicle narrow, 

 usually secund, slightly compound, 2 to 4in. long. Spikelets sessile or nearly so, 

 crowded or clustered along the short branches, very narrow, nearly terete, often 



