18 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND. 
the central awn is usually 9-13 mm. long, rarely so short as 7 ; the 
lateral awns are up to 4 mm. long, but are frequently very much smaller 
or insignificant to absent. 
The type-specimens were collected by Domin on Castle Hill, 
Townsville, in February, 1910, but appear to have been seen by no 
other botanist. Henrard has taken White 1614 from the same locality 
as belonging to Domin ’s species; Blake 8349, also from the same locality, 
agrees. Domin describes the length of the spikelet-parts as follows: 
glumes 6-8 mm. ; lemma with callus 6*5-7 mm. ; column about 3*5 to 
nearly 4 mm. ; central awn about 7-9*5 mm. ; lateral awns up to 2 mm. 
Domin also describes his plants as annual, with the habit of A. arenaria 
Gaud. I think that there is no doubt that Henrard is correct in his 
interpretation of Domin ’s species, but it would appear that Domin had 
young plants with apparently smaller spikelets than usual, or perhaps 
they were not quite mature. I have found spikelets with the dimensions 
given by Domin, but the great majority have longer lemmas and awns, 
with the dimensions given above. The plants are perennial, frequently 
with branched culms. 
The following collections are represented in the Queensland 
Herbarium : — 
Queensland. — Burke District : Near source of Poison Creek, about 
90 miles N. of Hughenden, in Eucalyptus (box) forest on stony ground, 
ca. 2750 ft., April 12th, 1935, Blake 8608. North Kennedy District: 
Castle Hill, Townsville, March, 1922, White 1614; Townsville, upper 
slopes of Castle Hill, among rocks, 700-1000 ft., March 30th, 1935, 
Blake 8349 ; Magnetic Island, on low sandy ridge in Eucalyptus forest, 
March 24th, 1935, Blake 8214; Hayman Island, common on hillsides in 
open Eucalyptus forest, June 11th, 1934, White 10223. Leichhardt 
District : Minerva, N. of Springsure, on open dry ridge on very shallow 
stony, reddish-brown silt-loam, ca. 1000 ft., March 8th, 1935, Blake 7971. 
Port Curtis District: Rosedale, not uncommon on summit of granite 
mountain, May 10th, 1936, Dovey 830. Moreton District : Little Mt. 
Edwards, tufted grass very common on bare trachyte slopes and among 
stunted Leptospermums, March 30th, 1934, Everist 547 ; Mt. Edwards, 
on cliffs above the northern side of the gorge, April 1st, 1934, 
Everist 609. 
The other species which have been referred to Streptachne have 
been discussed by Hughes, l.c., p. 303. To these remarks it should be 
added that S. ramosissima (Trin.)Trin. and S. verticillata (Nees)Trin. 
& Rupr. rightly belong to the genus Stipa as was pointed out by 
Henrard, op. cit. lviii. 142, and not to Muelilenbergia as indicated by 
Hughes, l.c., nor to Dichelachne as earlier suggested by Hughes, op. cit. 
1921, 28 (1921). Of the American species, I have seen specimens of 
Aristida ternipes Cav. ( Streptachne scabra H.B.K., S. tenuis H.B.K.), 
A. jorullensis Kunth ( Streptachne pilosa H.B.K.) and the comparable 
A. Orcuttiana Yasey. These represent an evolutionary trend of reduc- 
tion from characteristic species of Aristida sect. Chaetaria parallel to 
what has taken place in the Australian group. The groups from the 
two continents are not particularly closely allied, and, for that matter, 
A. Orcuttiama appears not to be very closely allied to the other two 
American species. 
Streptachne indica Buese ex De Yriese, PI. Ind. Bat. Or. 99 (1856), 
Miq. FI. Ind. Bat. iii. 751 (1859), from Java, was not mentioned by 
Domin, Hughes or Henrard, and I have found no further clue to its 
