21 



a good variety, T have obtained from Australia seeds of two of 

 the very best varieties with a view of giving the plant a further 

 trial. 



Lawn grasses. — The grass hitherto chiefly used for lawns in 

 Natal has been the creeping grass known as Dactyloctenium 

 aegyptiacum (Willd) but it has its disadvantages, and is not in 

 favour with some people, it is figured and described in "Natal 

 Plants," Vol. V., p. 441. We therefore made a trial with the 

 grass which is used for this pur-pose in some other countries 

 and known in India as' the " Doub " grass ; it is figured and 

 described in "Natal Plants," Vol. V., p. 430; it is a native of 

 Natal and of most tropical and sub-tropical countries, and is 

 known to botanists as Gynodon dactylon (Pers) ; it is often 

 advertised as " Bermuda grass " and said to be an excellent- 

 fodder plant, and in the Southern States of America and in 

 India it is extensively used for that purpose ; it is said to with- 

 stand heat and drought and to keep its green colour in the 

 hottest sunshine. At first it did not seem to thrive well as the 

 soil was very poor, but a topdressing of manure made a con- 

 siderable difference, it now looks fairly well, and keeps beauti- 

 fully green, but judging from its growth here, it would scarcely 

 yield a sufficient crop to make it worth while growing as a 

 foiage crop, though in better soil than ours it would be ex- 

 cellent for lawns. Some time since I heard that a grass was 

 being grown here for lawns under the name of " Mauritius 

 grass," we therefore obtained some plants which have since 

 flowered and the species proves to be Digitaria sanguinalis 

 (Scop), a native grass which is not uncommon near Durban 

 and is figured and described in '' Natal Plants," Vol. II., p. 141, 

 it is said that this grass will grow well under the shade of 

 trees, but we have not yet had the opportunity of testing it in 

 such a situation. Another grass has been strongly recom- 

 mended as being well adapted for establishing a grass sward 

 on lawns much subjected to traffic, it is Stenotaphrum glabrum 

 (Trin), and is figured and described in "Natal Plants," Vol. 

 II, p. 184. Baron F. V. Mueller says of it: " Generally not 

 liked by pasture- animals and for this very reason all the more 

 eligible for consolidating rolling coast sand. It kept alive in 

 the hottest and driest regions of Central Australia ; it endures 

 also some frost even the tender portions of its blade, and has 

 shown itself adapted for recently reclaimed swamp-land." 



This grass has passed under several different names, such 

 as 8. americinum in America, and is the 8. dimidiatwm of 

 Baron Mueller-, it is not uncommon in the coast districts of 

 Natal, and it is said that the natives collect and eat the seeds 

 in time of famine. 



