56 
The Queensland Naturalist 
September, 1939 
Bothriochloa decipiens (Pitted Blue Grass). This is a 
somewhat tufted grass, shortly leafy at the base with 
flowering culms up to 2ft. high and a narrow silver-grey 
inflorescence. It is considered a distinctly inferior pasture 
grass. It tends to disappear on open hill tops in Phyllites 
country, leaving either Blue Couch alone or being replaced 
by Eremockloa bimaculata . The latter has a dense shortly 
leafy base with oblique or erect flowering culms up to 
about twelve inches, bearing a single curved spike. Prom 
its possession of a short horizontal rhizome it tends to 
form continuous patches, its characteristic olive-green col- 
our contrasting strongly with the more or less glaucous 
line of the Digit aria. It is really a climax species which 
has persisted after the removal of the original forest. 
Paspalum dilatation, which replaces Blue Couch in the 
lower part of the valleys, has received much attention as a 
fodder grass. In its normal state this American species 
forms distinct densely leafy tussocks and is then of great 
value. Unfortunately, the pasture soon tends to become 
rootbound with a, gradual diminution of leaf growth. 
Finally it forms a dense continuous sod with very little 
leaf, which not only is of little value in itself, but which 
effectually prevents any other species from attaining a 
foothold.' It is, however, frequently associated with the 
tussocky grasses Sporobolus capensis (rat-tail grass), and 
Pennisetum alopecuroideum (fox-tail grass). These two 
species attain 3ft. in height, but their leaves are too rigid 
to be of much grazing value. 
Many other grasses occur in the Digit a no '-Bothriochloa 
associes. Most prominent among these is Sporobolus elon- 
gatm (a rat-tail grass) which frequently assumes the 
importance of a co-dominant. It is a somewhat tufted leafy 
grass with a long narrow leaden-grey spike-like inflor- 
ecsence. 
The genus Eragrostis is a valuable component and is 
frequently common. The three species present are E. don - 
gat a, E. Broumii , and E. leptostachya. They are leafy 
grasses, the culms rarely reaching a foot in height. E. 
leptostachya is a slender species, and usually accurs only 
where trees arc present. It is more shade-demanding than 
the others. 
On the mid-slopes of the hills Hyparrhenia filipendula 
is frequently prominent and occasionally dominant over 
small areas. * It forum small or fairly large tufts, the culms 
are usually much branched and the plant leafy through- 
out. Although nothing is definitely known as to its 
