80 GRAMINEAE. 63. Glyceria. 



1. P. caespitosa, Forst. Rather tall, variable perennial, with long setaceous, rarely 

 flat leaves ; ligule very short ; panicle pyramidal, often purple, the long lower branches 

 naked towards base and spreading in flower ; spikelets rather lanceolate than ovate, 

 4-8-flowered ; flowering glume 5-nerved, more or less ciliate or woolly on the nerves ; 

 grain oblong, sometimes subadherent to palea. 



Common in moist districts. Oct. -Dec. 



Var. tenera, Benth. A small form, with weak filiform leaves, and the panicle usually 

 reduced to a few small spikelets. — South-East. 



Var. Billardieri, Hook. f. A maritime form with shorter, contracted panicles, often 

 straw-colored, the lower branches short. — P. Billardieri, Steud. — Sea-coasts of Kangaroo 

 Island and South -East. 



Var. plebeia, Benth. Tall and leafy ; leaves flat with a long obtuse ligule ; flowering 

 glumes obtuse or notched, woolly-ciliate towards base; grain ovoid. — P. plebeia. R. Br. 

 Should probably be considered a distinct species — Morgan ; near Lake Frome ; Fowler's Bay. 



* 2. P. pratensis, L. Perennial with creeping rootstock, resembling the preceding, 

 but the panicle shorter (4-8 cm. long), the spikelets broader ; 3-5-flowered, and the flowering 

 glumes more woolly ; leaves narrow, channelled, the blade of the uppermost one much 

 shorter than the sheath ; grain always free. 



Adelaide plains; Mount Lofty Range; South-East. Oct. -Dec. — Almost cosmopolitan. 



3. P. Drummondiana, Nees (1843). A handsome perennial, with flat leaves, quivering 

 spikelets like those of Briza minor on capillary pedicels, forming a loose panicle, 5-15 cm. 

 long ; spikelets 4-5 mm. long, 6-8-flowered, broadly ovate ; flowering glumes obtuse, 

 spreading, 5-nerved, ciliate in the lower part, especially on the 2 marginal nerves ; at 

 the base of the stem are 2 or 3 globular nodules. — P x nodosa, Nees (1846-47). 



Scrub near Roseworthy ; Gladstone ; along coast westward of Streaky Bay. Sept. -Dec. 



* 4. P. bulbosa, L. Stems slender, swollen into a bulb at base ; leaves very narrow ; 

 panicle contracted, 1-4 cm. long ; spikelets ovate, 4-6-flowered ; flowering glumes faintly 

 5-nerved, with long woolly hairs on the median and marginal nerves ; flowers often 

 transformed into buds (viviparous form). 



Near Adelaide ; Eyre's Peninsula ; South-East. Oct. -Dec. — Europe. 



* 5. P. annua, L. Annual Meadow-grass. Small weak annual, with flat or channelled 

 leaves ; panicle with spreading branches, the lowest solitary or 2-3 together ; spikelets 

 3-5-flowered, 2-3 mm. long ; flowering glume 5-nerved, silky-ciliate towards base. 



Settled districts ; a weed in gardens. Spring and summer. — Cosmopolitan. 



6. P. lepida, F. v. M. Annual, with leaves flat or channelled and a long ligule ; panicle 

 narrow, 3-8 cm. long ; spikelets 5-9-flowered, subsessile ; flowering glumes 3-4 mm. long, 

 7-9-nerved, silky ciliate in lower half. 



From the Murray westward to Fowler's Bay, but not common. Aug. -Nov. 



63. GLYCERIA, R. Br. 



(Greek glykeros, sweet : alluding to the herbage and seeds of G. fluitans.) 

 Differs from Poa in the flowering glumes rounded on the back, the lateral nerves straight 

 and not converging on the midnerve, the stigmatic hairs branched, and the 2 lodicules 

 sometimes united into 1. Perennials. 



Stems tall, rigid, branched G. ramigera 1. 



Stems not rigid or branched. 



Flowering glumes hairy near base G. Fordeana 2. 



Flowering glumes glabrous. 



Panicle loose, with large spikelets G. flvitans 3. 



Panicle dense, with short spikelets G. stricta 4. 



1. G. ramigera, F. v. M. Cane-grass. Stems stout, rigid, to 3 m. high, the upper 

 branches clustered ; stem-leaves few and short ; panicle spreading, 10-20 cm. long ; 

 spikelets linear, 6-12-flowered ; flowering glumes hyaline, obtuse, with 3 short nerves ; 

 palea readily splitting into 2 parts ; lodicules distinct ; grain ovoid, loose within the 

 pericarp. — Poa ramigera, F. v. M. 



Near River Murray ; Far North. Sept. -Jan. 



2. G. Fordeana, F. v. M. Under 1 m. high ; leaves flat, scabrous ; panicle loose, 

 10-20 cm. long ; spikelets 8-10 mm. long, 8-12-flowered ; flowering glumes obtuse, 5-7- 

 nerved, with a tuft of white hairs near the base and pubescent in the lower part. 



Recorded from the River Murray and the Wimmera district in Victoria, so that it 

 probably occurs in this State. 



3. G. fluitans (L.), R. Br. Manna Grass. Rather stout aquatic grass, with creeping 

 stems ; leaves flat ; panicle long, loose, unilateral, narrow, the slender branches bearing 

 1-3 linear spikelets, 15-30 mm. long, 6-14-flowered ; flowering glume stiff, 7-nerved ; 

 lodicules united ; grain ovoid. 



Mount Lofty Range ; South-East. Nov. -Jan. — Cosmopolitan. 



