Paspalum. | GRAMINEAE, 139 
faintly nerved. Palea smaller, coriaceous, margins inflexed but not 
auricled.—Stapf. in Fl. Capen. vii (1898) 370; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 
(1906) 845. 
Norra Istanp: Auckland—Near Ahipara, 7’. F. C.; Bay of Islands and Whangarei, 
Petrie! marshes by the Lower Waikato, 7. F. C. ; Coromandel, Petrie / 
Probably introduced into New Zealand, as in Australia, South Africa, India, and 
other countries, but the localities it affects give it the appearance of being indigenous. 
It is a common plant in many parts of America, from Virginia southwards. It can be 
distinguished from P. distichum by its greater size, much broader flat leaves, and by 
the lateral spikes being sessile. 2. 
y. YOR ss adrn. . ie . nen Broan Fl. rT @) 992. a 
3. P. distichum Linn. Syst. Nat. (1759) 855.—Rhizome long, branched, 
creeping and rooting. Culms numerous, ascending, sheathed throughout 
by the leaves, glabrous, 2-8in. high. Leaves numerous, distichous, 2—5 in. 
long by about 7s in. broad, linear, acute, strict, spreading, usually involute ; 
ligules short, truncate ;’ sheaths thin, pale, loose, bearded at the mouth. 
Spikes 2, both peduncled and jointed on the top of the culm, usually 
spreading, 1-14 in. long; rhachis narrower than the spikelets. Spikelets 
in 2 rows, sessile or nearly so, imbricate and appressed to the rhachis, 
oblong, acute or almost acuminate, flattened, glabrous, pale. Empty 
glumes equal, acute, thin and membranous, faintly 3-5-nerved. Flowering 
glume rather shorter than the empty glumes, coriaceous, pale, very indis- 
tinctly nerved. Palea coriaceous like the flowering glume, margins slightly 
auricled.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 1 (1853) 291; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 323 ; 
Benth. Fl. Austral. vii (1878) 460; Buch. N.Z. Grasses (1879) t. 10B; 
Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 846. “Ret Deeia Umniglova Cuomo) 
Nortu Istanp: Auckland—Salt marshes from the North Cape CF y Bie 
Plenty and the Waikato River, abundant. 
Widely distributed in all warm countries. 
4. ISACHNE R. Br, 1810 ~“Rrecine 9G. 
Perennial or rarely annual grasses. Culms tufted, or decumbent or 
creeping at the base. Spikelets small or minute, loosely panicled, not at 
all or very obscurely articulate on the pedicels, 2-flowered ; both flowers 
hermaphrodite, or the lower flower sometimes male, and the upper flower 
sometimes female. Empty glumes 2, subequal, persistent or separately 
deciduous, convex, membranous, awnless. Flowering glumes 2 rather 
smaller than the empty glumes, equal or the lower larger, convex or 
almost hemispherical, subcoriaceous. Palea as long as the flowering 
glume. Lodicules very minute. Stamens 3, rarely more. Grain free 
within the hardened glume and palea, generally falling away with them. 
Species about 25, widely spread in most tropical or subtropical regions. The 
single New Zealand species ranges through Australia to India and China. 
1. I. australis R. Br. Prodr. (1810) 196.—Culms slender, creeping or 
decumbent at the base, ascending above, glabrous or nearly so, 6-18 in. 
high. Leaves short,.2-6in. long, 4-{in. broad, lanceolate or linear- 
lanceolate, acute, flat, minutely rough on both surfaces, margins scaberu- 
lous; sheaths smooth, ciliate at the mouth and on the margins above. 
Panicle erect, usually open, ovoid or pyramidal in outline, 2—4 in. long ; 
branches numerous, sparingly divided, very slender, flexuose, minutely 
scaberulous. Spikelets all pedicelled, small, globose or nearly so, obtuse, 
Sa ee 
