14 
Stipa scabra and aristiglumis, &c., to a 
great extent. 
Stipa pubescens, R- Br., is another 
avidely distributed species, though scareciy 
xeaching so far south. 
same size as the preceding, but not so: 
hairy, notwithstanding the name, which re- 
ters to the hairy modes. 
and narrow. The panicle is loose or very 
loose, the glumes smaller, seldom pointed, 
but more usually blunt or three-toothed, 
and the awn hairy only at the lower end. 
© Stipa aristiglumis, F. v. M., has much the 
habit of the last, but is commoner, pros- 
pexring in rich and poor soils. Its stems 
and leaves are glabrous or very. sparsely 
hairy, or dark-green color; the latter ure 
uarrow and up to 2 ft. long in rich soil, 
with the basal part flat. The panicle is 
wpen, 6 to 12 in. long, and plume-like. The 
glumes end often in one or three fine 
points, to which character the name refers, 
and are comparatively small; the awns are 
not much bearded, nor hairy. The flower- 
ing season is in September, and the spear- 
like seeds very numerous. Under cultiva- 
tion it forms large tufts of long moderately 
broad leaves, permitting frequent cutting, 
the tufts increasing in-size from year to 
year, while it resists the drought splen- 
didly. It is a much better fodder grass 
than Stipa semibarbata, and frequently as- 
sociated with it. - This species is absent 
from Western Australia and Tasmania. 
Stipa scabra, Lindley, is one of the smaL- 
jer and most common species in the dis- 
tricts about Adelaide, forming the prin- 
cipal pasture grass with Danthonia and 
Festuca. The stalks are very slender, from 
10. to 20 in. high, and covered thinly with 
wery short hairs; the leaves are almost or 
quite threadlike, soft, and from 3 to 10 in. 
Jong. ‘he panicle or head is very loose, 
with very slender branches, and mostly 
only a few inches in length, except on rich | 
soil. The outer glumes are often of a 
deep brown or purplish, and taper to long 
points. The awn is long and fine, and 
bearded in the lower half. The flowering 
season is September, and the seeds ripen 
and fall in October. It is absent from Tas- 
mania and North Australia, which latter, 
according to Baron F. v. Mueller’s Census, 
elegantissima. ; 
- Pichelachne crinita, J. Hooker, occurs in 
the hill districts, as well as in the richer 
warts of the mallee scrublands, usually in 
sclitary tufts in the shelter of low shrubs ; 
the stems are not very stiff or rigid, and 
about 2 ft. high. The leaves are flat, rather 
narrow, and soft, the lower ones usually 
shorter than the upper ones, and are either 
smooth (glabrous) or finely velvet-hairy, 
according to the nature of the locality. The 
ear forms a spikelike dense panicle of nu- 
merous closely adpressed branchcs, in 
which the short spikelets are almost con- 
cealed by the fine awns. The latter are not 
nearly so much twisted or bent as those of 
Stipa, and only the point of the slender 
fruit is barbed with silvery hairlets. The 
flowering and fruiting season extends from 
November to January respectively. The 
It is of. about the 
The leaves ure. 
eonvolute, or rolled backwards spirally, 
thas only one species of the genus, viz., St. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
species is distributed over all the Austra- 
lian colonies and Tasmania. 
Dichelachne sciurea, J. Hooker, the only 
other species, is absent from Western Aus- 
tralia, and smaller than the first. The 
leaves are mostly rather short, and quite 
hairless about the base, while the panicle 
ig narrower and looser. It appears to he 
rarer than D. crinita. 
_Pentapogon Billardieri, R. Br., the only 
species of the genus, is a.small gras: with 
very narrow leaves, mostly without any 
hairlets, and is usually found among other 
grass, in more or less permanently moist 
localities, such as the neighborhood cf 
springs. The stem or stalk is very slender, 
the ear nodding or erect, and from 2 to 6 
inches long ; it is formed of distant, flat, al- 
most sessile spikelets, with short bent awns. 
The outer glumes are comparatively long, 
with a prominent keel ; the inner flowering 
ones are seated upon a short hairy stalk- 
let or stipes. It flowers and fruits about: 
December, and is ‘absent from Western. 
Australia and Queensland. This species is 
not promiscuous compared with others, but 
a good fodder grass otherwise. 
Echinapogon (Cinna) ovatus, Palisot, is a 
creeping grass, the decumbent stalks root- 
ing at every joint. The leaves are rather 
broad and flat, 6 to 12 in. Jong, and though 
soft, roughened by short bristles, which are 
directed backwards along the back and 
the edges. The head-like ear is very dense, 
up to 2 in. long, and almost cylindrical. It 
is seated upon a stiff, leafless stalk, from 8 
to 10 in. in length or more, with reversed 
short bristles, which prevent it from being 
drawn through the fingers. The small 
spikelets, with their awns, stand very close 
together, and nearly at right angles to the 
rhacis. The flowering glumes are surround- 
ed by a tuft of hairs. The species is the 
only one of the genus, and occurs with us 
usually near water courses in moist, rich 
soil, though it can stand a good deal of 
dryness. Under cultivation on garden soil 
a single plant spreads quickly over a con- 
siderable space, but alone does not form a 
fine tuft, as it is rather straggling. When 
once established it is rather difficult to 
eradicate bn account of the node-rooting 
stems, which easily break, leaving the 
rooted portion behind. It is.a good succu- 
lent, and permanently green fodder grass, 
very suitable for moist pastures. The 
species is found over all Australia and Tas- 
mania, except: the northern tropical part 
and. flowers and fruits from November to 
January. On its stalk a blackish rust 
occasionally occurs, which has not yet been 
observed in other grasses. 
Amphipogon strictus, R. Br., inhabits 
the open sandy scrub lands and _ hillsides, 
and extends throughout all the colonies, 
except Northern Australia and Tasmania. 
Western Australia owns four other ende- 
mic species. It grows in small tufts from 
an underground stem; the leaves are usu- 
ally erect, awl-shaped, stiff, and sharply 
pointed. With some varieties they are 6 
inches to a foot in length! in others they 
reach only two to four, while in a third 
they are short, flat, and scarcely to be call- 
ed stiff, at least when young. The upper 
April 1, 1904 
leaves are always much shorter than the 
lower, except in age, when those of a 
variety in the dense scrubs of the rocky 
summits of the Mount Lofty Ranges attain 
a considerable length without. even de- 
veloping a fruiting stem when undisturbed. 
The latter, however, appears during the 
season after a bush fire; and in profusion. 
The young leaves of this variety are always 
flat, and more or less. depressed. Another 
peculiarity of this grass, which always is 
found on the poorest soil, is that the grow- 
ing point of the stems frequently swells 
into a rather thick head, the leayes sur. 
rounding: it being much dilated and short. 
ened. This singular spike-like head is not, 
the ear, but a gall peculiar to the species, 
but what insect causes itis unknown to the 
writer, The flowering and fruiting stalk 
is tender and rigid, the spike ovate, almost, 
cylindrical, and from three quarters of an 
inch to twice that length. The outer 
glumes are much longer than the inner 
ones, end in a long sharp point, 
and have their edges lined with lone 
fine hairlets; the inner ones are 
quite hairy, and their upper — half 
is split into three long, bristle-lke points, 
which, when. ripe, are much curved. The 
flat-leaved hill variety flowers in October, 
the rigid scrub plants in December. As a 
fodder plant the above is of little value 
when any other is to be had, except when 
young. ; 
Pappophorum commune, F. v. M. (nig- 
ricans, R. Br.), extends over all Australia, 
but not to Tasmania, and is a soft-leaved 
grass, sometimes quite velvet-hairy. The 
leaves are moderately narrow, or rather 
broad when young, and mostly over 6 in. 
long. The stem is erect, up to 18 in. or 
more high, and bears a very dense eat-like 
panicle from 1 to 3 in. in length which is 
sometimes almost densely cylindrical, and. 
sometimes much more open.or even loosely 
branched. The genus contains only two 
species, of which the above is distinguished 
by the outer glumes being only from-one 
to two lines long and having from five to 
nine nervules, while the Central Australian 
species, P. avenaceum, Lindley, has them 
much longer, and each with eleven to 
twenty-one mnervules (Bentham). Our 
species is usually found in moist localities, 
such as river flats, &c., and flowers in Sep- 
tember or October. It appears to be of 
annual duration, and is good for fodder. 
(To be continued.) 
MUSICAL EDUCATION, 
There are many country homes, and also homes 
in the suburbs where gardeners and_ their 
families greet an evening’s recreation with music 
asa great boon. So it should be. The difficulty 
very often lies in the fact that while the piano or 
organ is there the musician is wanted. To 
supply this pleasure we are introducing from 
America a Chart of Musical Chords, arranged hy 
Mr. Charles E. Pratt. By the nse of these 
Chords, which any ordinary intelligent person 
can learn quickly without any previous -know- 
ledge of music, an accompaniment can be played 
to any song yet composed. In addition to the 
Chart the publishers supply a book of popular 
songs, containing 48 pages, all for the very 
modest price of 2s. 6d. and postage. On receipt 
of 2s, 6d. and postage 2d. we will send the chart: 
and music to any address in the Commonwealth. 
An advertisement appears on page 15. 
