Order GRAMINEZE. 
Genus Dichelachne, Endl. 
Sub-Order Agrostide^e. 
3—DICHELACHNE SCIUREA. 
SHORT-HAIR PLUME GRASS. 
{Plate XVI) 
Dichelachne Sieberiana, Trinius and Ruprecht. 
Agrostis sciurea, Brown. 
Stipa micrantha, Nees. 
Muhlenbergia Sieberiana, Trinius. 
Dichelachne sciurea, Hook. fil. FI. N.Z., I., 294 ; Handb. N.Z. Flora, I., 326. 
A SMALL tufted glabrous grass oflow altitudes. Flowers December—January. Root fibrous. Perennial. 
Stems 1—2 feet high, slender. Leaves flat or involute; ligule very short, obtuse, entire, or lacerate. 
Panicle elongate, contracted, 3—6 inches long, branches more open and with fewer spikelets than the 
former. Spikelets less than J-inch long. Empty glumes narrow, long-acuminate, 3-nerved. Floivering 
glume as long, 2-fid at top, 5-nerved; awn flexuose, twisted, 2times longer than the glume, inserted 
at the back above the middle. Palea narrow, 2-fid, 2-nerved. Scales large, oblong, long-acuminate. 
Anthers short, stout. Ovary glabrous, oblong. Styles very short, nearly connate at the base. Stigmas 
short, plumose. Distribution of Species : AUSTRALIA, TASMANIA, NEW ZEALAND. 
A very different-looking grass from D. crinita in its extreme forms, but connected with that species 
hy intermediate varieties, which, though differing in outward form, cannot be separated by the details 
of the inflorescence. These varieties are, as far as at present known, limited to the North Island. 
The three specimens figured in Plate XVI. are: Fig. 1, collected by Mr. Kirk, near Auckland. Fig. T, 
from a specimen collected on the Island of Kawau, which in outward form resembles D. crinita, , but in 
microscopical details of inflorescence agrees entirely with the present species. Fig. 1" is from a 
specimen collected in the Domain, Wellington, which appears to be' only a small form of the 
species. All the varieties are valuable pasture grasses, and, from their slender succulent habit, would 
become valuable as fodder grasses if cultivated. Regarding the doubtful perennial habit of this 
and other species, it may be remarked that, under the mild climate which obtains in the North Island 
of New Zealand, grasses which under a more rigorous climate would die down annually, possess a 
continuous growth during nearly the whole year, unless when, owing to a dry season, they flower and 
seed early, and before forming new stoles or branches at the roots, in which case they inevitably die 
out. This takes place frequently with perennial Ray grass {Lolium perrene ), when it is allowed to 
flower and seed the first year. Distribution in New Zealand : NORTH ISLAND : BAY OF 
ISLANDS and AUCKLAND—Cunningham, Colenso, Sinclair; THAMES DISTRICT—Kirk; 
TITIRANGI—Cheeseman ; KAWAU ISLAND and WELLINGTON—Buchanan. 
Reference to Plate XVI.: Fig. 1. Plant. 2. Spikelet. 3. Floret. 4. Nervation of empty glumes. 
5. Nervation of flowering glume. 6. Nervation of Palea. 7. Scale. 8. Ovary. 9. Grain. 
