o8 
The Queensland Naturalist September, 1939 
Although scarcely a dominant, it frequently forms societies 
of some extent. 
In the damper places Chrysopogon sylvaticus appears, 
together with Panicum fulgidum , a rather small species 
about lft. high. In some places blady-grass (Imp er at a 
cylindrica var. Koenigii) is dominant over comparatively 
large areas, due chiefly to continual firing. 
The climax communities on the Petrie Series are very 
different. On the higher ground to the north-east and 
south-west of the area the community is chiefly a Cymbopo- 
g on-Digit aria-Eremochloa association. The Cymbopogon 
((7. refractus) forms a denser and larger tuft than when 
it occurs on the Greenstones. Sometimes it forms small 
consociations. The Eremochloa (E. bimaculata) may like- 
wise occur as scattered tufts or as pure consociations. The 
spp. of Digitaria (chiefly I). orbata and an allied unde- 
scribed species) form small leafy tufts with flowering culms 
2-3ft. high. They usually occur scattered between Cymbo- 
pogon and the Eremochloa , or forming with the latter a 
fairly close ground cover. The other commonly occurring 
grasses are Arunclinella nepolensis , Eragrostis Brownii , 
E. leptostachya, Panicum fulgclium, P. effusum, and 
Imperata cylindrica var. Koenigii . Occasionally one of 
these may become dominant over small areas, as for 
example Arundinella. 
In the east and south-east, as the country becomes 
lower and Eucalyptus micrantha (scribbly gum) becomes 
prominent in the forest make-up, a very different grass 
population appears. The dominants are Ansticla spp. and 
Panicum fulgidum . Two species of Aristida occur, both 
restricted to this association. They are A. Benthamii, 
and A . intricate*. The latter is most characteristic 
It is a rather densely tufted, shallowly rooted species, 
with numerous very slender nearly prostrate leaves and 
culms, the latter being unbranched and attaining 3 feet 
in length. This species from its habit impart a charac- 
teristic appearance to the forest floor, the grass appear- 
ing as though lying in swathes. 
A. Benthamii is a slender tufted suberect grass up 
to 3 feet or more with a drooping panicle of numerous 
small purple spikelets. It is less common than the other 
species and is frequently absent. Panicum effusum 
occurs chiefly in the somewhat drier areas. It is not so 
prominent as the spp. of Aristida. 
Melaleuca (tea-tree) swamps are common in this 
"Aristida intricata — S. T. Blake in Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl. li. ined. 
