BY J. H. MAIDEN AND E. BETCHE. 315 



other specimens in the Herbarium are from Queensland stations. 

 Palla's description of K. monocephala as having a "winged keel" 

 seems not to be a happy one; Bentham describes the glumes as 

 "acutely keeled," an expression that seems to us much more 

 applicable; in none of our specimens is the keel so acute that we 

 should call it " winged," and we find the character by no means a 

 sharp one. 



Bentham describes the nuts of K. cylindrica as " very dark " 

 and those of K. triceps as "pale." Palla ignores the colour of 

 the nuts, and it seems to us the colour depends solely on the 

 degree of ripeness of the nuts; we have found pale and dark nuts 

 in both species. 



SdRPUS STERILIS, n.sp. 



Narrabri Occidentalis in sterili arenosa terra (J. L. Boorman; 

 menses Junius et September mdccccvii). 



Planta annua caespitosa caulibus gracillibus, teretibus, 

 costatis, sex usque ad octo uncias altis. Folia plerumque duo ad 

 fundum caulis, lamina lineari-tereti minus duas uncias longa, 

 et vagina brevi, striata simile cauli. Spiculae numerosae, saepe 

 plus triginta, in racemo terminali qui circiter partem mediam 

 unciae per medium occupat, bracteis foralium parvis et sub- 

 ulatis, plerumque in racemo celatis. Spiculae mutabilissimae, 

 longissimae, circiter quinque lineas longae, duodecim floribus. 

 Bracteae florentes subfuscae, carina crassa coloris pallidioris 

 et lateribus nervis carentibus. Setae hypogynae absunt. Unum 

 stamen solum. Stylus tribus ramis. Caryopses maturae sub- 

 fuscae, tribus angulis, lseves; caryopses steriles albae, circiter 

 dimidio minae quam caryopses fertiles. 



A densely tufted annual, with slender terete ribbed stems, 6 to 

 8 inches high when full grown, interspersed with shorter stems. 

 Leaves generally two at the base of the stem; the lamina linear- 

 terete, the longest seen under 2 inches long, minutely denticulate 

 with small asperities only visible under a lens, the sheath striate 

 like the stem and generally much under 1 inch long. Spikelets 

 numerous in a terminal cluster, the longest heads about J inch 



