Order GRAMINE/E, 
Genus Microl^ena, Brown. 
Sub-Order, Oryzeje. 
\ 
2.—MICROLiENA AVENACEA. 
BUSH RICE GRASS. 
(Plate 1 H.) 
Diplax avenacea, Raoul, Choix des Plantes, p. n, t. 3. FI. N.Z., I., 289. 
Microl/ena avenacea, Hook fil. Handb. N.Z. Flora, I., 320. 
A tall handsome grass, growing at low elevations. Flowers December—March. Perennial. Root 
fibrous, wiry. Stems 2—4 feet high, densely tufted, compressed and leafy at the base, forming tussacs 
of erect drooping leaves. Leaves 18—24 inches long, \ —J-inch broad ; margins scabrid. Ligule very 
short, obtuse, entire, or lacerate; mouth of the sheath with silky hairs. Panicle glabrous, pale- 
coloured, 10—15 inches long, with many long capillary branches. Spikelets on capillary pedicels i-inch 
long, awns included. Empty glumes , lower pair very minute, unequal, persistent; upper pair close to 
the last, with long awns, 7-nerved. Flowering glume acuminate or blunt, with a short awn, 7-nerved. 
Palea narrow, linear, acuminate, 1-nerved. Scales large, waved on the upper margin, and nerved at 
bottom. Stamens 2. Anthers long, narrow. Styles nearly connate at the base. Stigmas penicillate, 
longer than the styles. Grain long, narrow. Distribution of Species : NEW ZEALAND. 
4 
Common in forest lands, and usually found there in small tussacs, which, by their confluence, often 
form large patches of a close, harsh sward, especially in the more open places. This grass is greedily 
eaten by cattle during winter, when it then becomes valuable in supplementing the more nutritious leaf 
food from certain trees, such as Karaka ( Corynocarpus Icevigata), Mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus ), and 
several others which form their chief food during that season in many places. This species can hardly 
be recommended for cultivation, as in open country it would very probably become harsher and less 
succulent; but settlers living in the neighbourhood of forests would be repaid the trouble of 
collecting seed and sowing it among the trees, and by that means increasing the amount of winter food 
for their cattle. Distribution in New Zealand: NORTPI AND SOUTH ISLANDS; abundant 
in forests. 
Reference to Plate III.: Fig. 1. Plant. 2. Spikelet. 3. Upper empty glumes and floret. 
4. Fertile floret. 5. Nervation of upper empty glumes. 6. Nervation of flowering glume, 
7. Nervation of palea. 8. Scales. 9. Ovary. 10. Grain. 
