68 GRAMINEAE. 28. Echinopogon. 



in a large spreading panicle ; outer glumes 2, membranous, longer than the flowering 

 glume, which has a straight, terminal, deciduous awn twice its length rising from its 

 notched summit ; fruiting glume hardened and shining. 



An ornamental grass, naturalised in places. Oct. -Feb. — Mediterranean region. 



2s. ECHINOPOGON, Beauv. 

 (Greek ekhinos, hedgehog ; pogon, beard : alluding to the bristly head.) 

 1. E. ovatus (Forst.), Beauv. Erect annual, with flat scabrous leaves; spikelets 1- 

 flowered, in a dense bristly spikelike ovoid or oblong panicle, 2-4 cm. long ; outer glumes 

 2, nearly 4 mm. long, ciliate on the keel ; flowering glume about the same length, with 

 2 acute lobes and a short straight awn rising between them ; the flowering glume bearded 

 at base, and the rhachilla produced into a short bristle behind the flower. 



Mount Lofty Range ; Kangaroo Island ; South -East ; Flinders Range. Oct. -Feb. 



29. ALOPECURUS, L. 



(Greek alopex, a fox ; our a, tail ; shape of the spike-like panicle.) 

 Spikelets 1 -flowered, crowded into a dense spike-like panicle ; outer glumes 2, equal, 

 compressed-keeled, 3-nerved ; flowering glume rather shorter, with a short dorsal awn 

 bent and twisted below the bend ; palea wanting ; rhachilla of spike let articulate below 

 the outer glumes. 



Outer glumes about 3 mm. long, free almost to the base. ... A. geniculatus 1. 

 Outer glumes about 6 mm. long, united to the middle A. agrestis 2. 



1. A. geniculatus, L Marsh Fox-tail. Glabrous perennial, with ascending stems ; 

 panicle cylindrical, slender, 3-5 cm. long, the lower branches bearing 2-4 spikelets ; outer 

 glumes 3-3 \ mm. long, ciliate on the keel and lateral nerves with long hairs, almost free ; 

 awn 5-8 mm. long, inserted below middle of flowering glume. 



Wet ground, Murray River ; Far North. Sept. -Dec. 



*2. A. agrestis, L. Slender Fox-tail. Glabrous annual ; panicle cylindrical, slender, 

 attenuated at both ends, 5-9 cm. long, the branches usually bearing only 1 spikelet ; outer 

 glumes 6-7 mm. long, shortly ciliate on keel, united to the middle ; awn 10-12 mm. long, 

 inserted near base of flowering glume. 



Crops and pasture in South -East. Sept. -Dec. — Europe ; Northern Asia. 



30. SPOROBOLUS, R. Br. 



(Greek sporos, seed ; bolos, throwing : the seed is shed easily from the flowering glume 



and palea.) 

 Spikelets 1 -flowered, awnless, in spikelike or loose panicles ; outer glumes 2, persistent ; 

 not exceeding the flower, faintly 1 -nerved ; flowering glume faintly 3-nerved, mem- 

 branous ; palea readily splitting between the 2 nerves ; seed free within a very thin 

 pericarp ; hilum punctiform ; stamens 2-3. Perennials. 

 A. Panicle spikelike. 



2nd glume equal to flowering glume 8. virginicus 1. 



2nd glume shorter than flowering glume S. indicus 2. 



A. Panicle broadly pyramidal. 



Spikelets sessile, crowded 8. actinocladus 3. 



Spikelets pedicellate, distant S. Lindleyi 4. 



1. S. virginicus (L.), Kunth. Stems leafy, ascending from a thick, creeping, scaly 

 rootstock ; leaves short, more or less spreading, rigid, inrolled-subulate, almost distichous ; 

 ligule very short, ciliate ; panicle spikelike, kad-colored, 2-7 cm. long ; outer glumes 

 keeled, the 1st 2 mm. long, the 2nd 3 mm. ; flowering glume similar to and about as 

 long as the 2nd ; pericarp only separable from grain when soaked. 



Salt marshes and sandhills near the coast ; also on salty soil inland up to the Far North. 



Var. pallidas, Benth. Rootstock, stems and leaves usually, but not always, more 

 slender than in the type ; spike 3-10 cm. long ; spikelets slightly smaller and pale-colored. 

 — S. Benthamii, Bailey. 



River Murray ; Far North. 



2. S. indicus, R. Br. Stems erect ; leaves mostly basal, rather long, finally inrolled ; 

 ligule very short, ciliate ; panicle spikelike, olive-green, often interrupted and slightly 

 lobed near base, 8-20 cm. long ; spikelets acute ; outer glumes unequal and very delicate, 

 the 1st £-§ mm. long, the 2nd about twice as long ; flowering glume longer still (2-2^- mm.) ; 

 grain truncate, almost quadrangular ; pericarp loose. 



Near Adelaide ; South-East. June-Jan. — Both these species are found in many other 

 warm countries. 



Var. elongatus (R. Br.), Bailey. Panicle 15-30 cm. long, interrupted in all its length, 

 the branches spreading slightly when in flower, but clothed to the base with spikelets 



Far North. 



