36. Ammophila. GRAMLNEAE. 71 



36. AMMOPHILA, Host. 

 (Greek ammos, sand ; philos. loving.) 



* 1. A. arenaria (L.), Link. Marram -grass. Perennial, with creeping rootstock and 

 erect stems; leaves inrolled ; ligule bifid; spikelets 1 -flowered, in a cylindrical straw- 

 colored panicle, 10-25 cm. long ; outer glumes 2, keeled, about 12 mm. long ; flowering 

 glume shorter, stiff, 3 -toothed at summit, with a basal tuft of hairs and a bristle at base of 

 palea. — A. arundinacea, Host. 



Planted along sea-coast to fix drifting sand. Sept. -Dec. — Europe ; North America. 



37. PENTAPOGON, R. Br. 



(Greek pente, five ; pbgon, beard : the flowering glume has 5 awns.) 

 1. P. quadrifidus (Labill.), Baill. Erect annual ; spikelets 1 -flowered in a rather dense 



branched panicle ; outer glumes 2, narrow, 6-12 mm. long, acute ; flowering glume nearly 



as long, on a short hairy callus ; the central awn 1£-2| cm. long, with 2 much shorter awns 



on each side. — P. Billardieri, R. Br. 



Recorded by Bentham for " St. Vincent's Gulf, F. Mueller ; Barossa Range, Behr," 



but does not appear to have been re discovered. 



38. LAGURUS, L. 

 (Greek lagos, a hare ; oura, a tail : alluding to the shape of the panicle.) 



* 1 . L. ovatus, L. Hare'' s -tail grass. Annual ; leaves flat, pubescent, the uppermost 

 sheath swollen ; spikelets 1 -flowered, in a dense ovoid spikelike silky -white panicle, 

 2-4 cm. long ; outer glumes equal, tapering into a plumose awn ; flowering glume much 

 shorter, with 2 short terminal awns, and 1 long bent dorsal awn. 



Sandy soil near sea. Sept. -Dec. — Mediterranean coasts. 



Tribe 7. Aveneae. Spikelets 2-many-flowered, paniculate ; flowering glumes usually 

 shorter than the outer glumes, bearing a dorsal awn, or rarely a terminal awn or none. 



39. ERIACHNE, R. Br. 



(Greek erion, wool ; akhiit, glume : the flowering glume, and sometimes the outer 



glumes are hairy.) 

 Spikelets with 2 bisexual flowers, paniculate ; outer glumes 2, persistent, acute, many- 

 nerved ; flowering glume 5-7 nerved, hairy at base and usually on the back, awnless or 

 with an untwisted terminal awn ; palea flat, with 2 almost marginal nerves ; ligule a 

 ring of hairs. Perennial grasses. 



A. Awn about as long as flowering glume ; panicle loose .... E. aristidea 1. 

 A. Awn absent or reduced to & short point ; panicle con- 

 tracted. 

 B. Outer glumes about 6 mm. long. 



Flowering glume not ciliate in upper part E. ovata 2. 



Flowering glume ciliate to summit E. mucronata 3. 



iB; Outer glumes about 4 mm. long ; leaves pungent .... E. scleranthoides 4. ,. 



1. E. aristidea, F. v. M. Stems bearded at nodes; leaves flat, bearded at orifice of 

 sheath ; panicle loose ; outer glumes turning purplish, 8-10 mm. long, with spreading 

 hairs seated on tubercles ; flowering glume rather shorter, villous on back, tapering into 

 an awn as long as or shorter than the glume ; palea hairy, bifid with 2 long points. 



Throughout the Far North. Summer. 



2. E. ovata, Nees. Leaves narrow, erect, long, with subulate points ; panicle ovate, 

 rather dense, 3-5 cm. long, the spikelets on short pedicels or almost sessile ; outer glumes 

 purplish, 5-6 mm. long, subacute, 11-13-nerved, glabrous; flowering glume slightly 

 longer, mucronate, strongly 7-nerved, villous in lower half, but without cilia reaching to 

 the summit ; palea shortly bifid and hairy on back. 



Far North. Summer. 



Var. pallida, Benth. Panicle oblong, looser, 8-14 cm. long ; leaves longer ; outer 

 glumes pale or purplish, 11-15-nerved ; flowering glume and palea considerably longer 

 than outer glumes (8-9 mm. long), and often recurved. 



Far North (near Oodnadatta). 



Var. pedicellata. Resembles the preceding, but the spikelets are on capillary pedicels 

 of 5-8 mm. and the flowering glume rather shorter (6-7 mm.) obtusely mucromate, very 

 villous but not ciliate in the upper part, and exceeding very slightly the outer glumes. 



Musgrave Ranges. 



E. pallida, F. v. M., and E. obtusa, R. Br. have not been found in South Australia. 



3. E. mucronata, R. Br. Stems slender, stiff, ascending from a woolly base, 40-60 cm 

 high ; leaves all short, or the lower ones longer, distant, narrow, stiff, but not pungent, 

 the lower sheaths pubescent ; panicle narrow, few-flowered, 4-6 cm. long ; outer glumes 



