320 
XII. G RAMIN E/E. 
2. MICROL^WA, 13 r. 
Very slender, perennial grasses, simple or branched. Leaves small or long, 
flat, or concave, not involute. Spikelets racetned or panicled. — Glumes 5 ; 4 
lower flowerless, 2 lowermost opposite, minute ; 2 following awned, much 
larger ; terminal or flowering acuminate or awned. Pale short, linear, hyaline. 
Scales 2, glabrous. Stamens 2-4. Ovary sessile. Grain free within the 
hardened glumes. 
A small genus (including Diplax, Br.) of Australian, Tasmanian, and New Zealand 
Grasses, natives generally of woods. 
Two lowest glumes distant from the following 1. M. stipoides. 
Two lowest glumes close to the following {Dip/ax). 
Spikelets panicled. Leaves scaberulous, 1 — j in. broad. Stamens 2 . 2. M. avenacea. 
Spikelets racemed. Leaves smooth, yW—g- in. broad. Stamens 4 . . 3. JL polynoda. 
1. M, stipoides, Br. ; — FI. N. Z. i. 289. A slender grass, 18-24 in. 
high. Leaves glabrous or sparingly hairy, 2-6 in. long. Panicle slender, 
nodding, branched below. Lower spikelets on long pedicels, upwards of 1 
in. long, awns included. Glumes : lowest pair very minute, acute, deciduous ; 
2 following seated at distant intervals on the bearded rachis, scabrid, awns 
as long as themselves ; uppermost or flowering acuminate. Scales large. 
Stamens 4. — Ehrliarta stipoides, Labill. PI. Nov. Iioll. i. 16. t. 118. 
Northern Island : East Cape, Hawke’s Bay, and Cape Palliser, CoJenso ; Auckland, 
Sinclair. A common Australian and Tasmanian plant. 
2. M. avenacea. Hook. f. — Diplax avenacea, Eaotd, Choix, ii. t. 3; 
PI. N. Z. i. 289. A tall, handsome grass, 2-4 ft. high. Culms densely 
tufted, compressed and leafy at the base, simple and quite smooth above. 
Leaves l|-2 ft. long, in. broad, margins scabrid. Panicle 10-1 5 in. long, 
with many long, capillary branches. Spikelets on capillary pedicels, in. 
long (awns included). Glumes : lowest pair very minute, unequal, persistent ; 
2 following close to the preceding, with long awns ; upper or flowering acu- 
minate. Stamens 2. 
Northern and Middle Islands: abundant in woods, Banks and Solander, etc. 
3. M. polynoda, TIook.f. — Diplax polynoda, PL N. Z. i. 290. Culms 
tufted, very long, 3-6 ft., slender, or stout and rigid, terete, branched, with 
knots at the joints, quite smooth. Leaves not scabrid, very narrow, 4-8 in. 
long, broad. Racemes simple, few-flowered. Spikelets on rather short 
pedicels, with the awns \ in. long. Glumes as in M. avenacea, but awns of 
the 2 upper flowerless ones, shorter. Stamens 4. 
Northern Island: base of the Ruabine range and cast coast', Colenso. 
3. ALOPECURUS, Linn. 
Creeping or erect, glabrous or downy grasses. Culms generally simple, 
leafy. Leaves flat. Panicles contracted into dense, cylindrical, obtuse spikes. 
Spikelets very shortly pedicelled, imbricated, 2-flowered. — Empty glumes 
equal, much compressed, keeled, usually connate at the base, erect, acute ; 
flowering glume shorter, becoming hard, keeled ; awn if present short, straight, 
dorsal. Pale 1-nerved or 0. Scales 0. Stamens 3. Grain free within the 
hardened glumes. 
A considerable genus, confined to temperate or subtropical countries. 
