64 
grasses (Astrebla) in 1928, Hubbard has published accounts of many 
species and several relatively small genera, as well as some important 
contributions on broader classifications within the family. Pilger, of Berlin, 
published in 1940 a resume' of the Paniceae, Andropogoneae and some 
allied groups (subfamily Panicoideae), chiefly as to their genera, and in 
1954, shortly after his death, his reclassification of the family as a whole 
was published with a key to all genera except the bamboos. Pilger's 
concepts differ in some respects from those that Australian botanists had 
learned to accept and his work is a challenge to further detailed study. 
An idea of the increase of species known to occur in Queensland 
over the past 150 years may be suggested by the few examples about 
to be quoted. As points in time I have taken Brown's Prodromus (1810), | 
Bentham's Flora Australiensis, vol. 7 (1878), Bailey's Queensland Floro, j 
vol. 6 (1902) Domin's Beitraege (1915), recent revisions, and the catalogue 
at the Queensland Herbarium. In this list no distinction is made between 
species and named groups of lower rank; Domin gave names to many ■ 
plants he distinguished on trifling grounds, and his employment of several | 
categories below the rank of species does not permit of satisfactory com- 
parison with the other figures quoted. A plus sign indicates that other 
undetermined or unnamed species are represented in the Herbarium. In 
all cases, the generic concept is that accepted by the reviser quoted; j 
earlier authors referred some of the species to other genera. i 
Aristida: 2, 11, 13, 28, about 40 (Henrard 1926-33; range of some | 
species doubtful), 48 -f. 
Bothriochloa: 2, 3, 3, 5, 7 (Blake 1944), 7. 
Chloris: 1, 10, 11, 12, 14 (Everist 1935-8), 14 +. (Includes 
naturalized species.) 
Ectrosia: 2, 3, 3, 5, 14 (Hubbard 1936), 16 +. 
Enneapogon: 4, 2, 2, 15, 15 (Burbidge 1941), 15. 
Eragrostis: 10, 15, 22, 30, 40 + (revision needed). 
Iseilema: 0, 1, 1, 4, 8 (Hubbard 1935), 10 (Blake 1938), 10. 
Paspolidium: 3, 3, 3, 10, 5 (Hughes 1923), 15 + (revision in 
progress). 
Triodia: 2, 3, 4, 4, 9 (Burbidge 1953), 9. 
Tragus: 0, 1, 1 , 0, 1 (Blake 1941), 1. 
From the above it can be seen that in some cases at least a close 
study of a genus has resulted in the recognition of additional species. 
This will be so in very many genera still to be studied in detail. Botanical 
exploration in Queensland is still far from complete and almost every 
extended field trip brings new plants to light. Besides novelties, additional 
material of other species is accumulating to add to our knowledge of the 
structure and distribution of well-recognized species. 
Grasses are found in almost every kind of country in Queensland, 
though they are especially abundant in the open grasslands and open 
forest country. The natural grasslands occupy extensive areas of heavy 
soil, mostly where the rainfall does not exceed thirty inches a year, and 
it is here where the well-known blue grasses, Mitchell grasses and 
Flinders grasses grow. The greatest variety of grasses is found in the open 
forest country, which usually has lighter soils and often higher rainfall. 
Some important work has been done on the life history, economic value 
and management of some of our native grasses, but much remains to be 
done; much more is known about some introduced grasses. 
