Bromus. | GRAMINEAE, 209 
NortH Istanpd: Rocky and sandy places near the sea, abundant from the North 
Cape to the East Cape and Taranaki, local farther south, rare inland, but occurring 
at Lake Rotorua and elsewhere. Sourn Istanp: Cape Farewell, 7’. Kirk! Also not 
uncommon in Australia, Kew~oh> Se FtarG &3- KGod 
Several species of Bromus from the Northern Hemisphere are now firmly established 
as naturalized plants, the most abundant being B. mollis, a rather small species with a 
compact ovoid panicle and turgid spikelets; and B. sterilis, with a lax drooping 
panicle and large long-awned spikelets 2 in. long with the awns. 
32. AGROPYRUM Gaertn. '*% “© 
Annual or perennial grasses. Leaves flat or convolute ; ligules scarious. 
Spikelets more or less laterally compressed, 3- to many-flowered, solitary 
and sessile, distichously placed in the alternate hollows of the continuous 
or jointed rhachis of a simple spike, one face of the spikelet next the rhachis ; 
rhachilla disarticulating above the two outer glumes and usually between 
the flowering glumes. Two outer glumes subequal or unequal, empty, 
persistent, lanceolate or linear. Flowering glumes more or less rigid and 
coriaceous, rounded on the back or keeled above, 5—7-nerved, awned or 
awnless. Palea rather shorter than the glume, sharply 2-keeled, ciliate on 
the keels. Lodicules 2, oblique or unequally lobed, entire or ciliate. 
Stamens 3. Ovary villous at the top; styles very short ; stigmas plumose. 
Grain narrow, compressed at the back, often adherent to the palea; hilum 
as long as the grain. 
Species about 35, found in almost all temperate countries, but most abundant in 
Europe and north Asia. Of the 4 species found in New Zealand, 1 extends to Australia, 
the remaining 3 are endemic. 
* Awn short, never more than } the length of the flowering glume. 
Spikelets 1 in., 6-12-flowered. Awn very short, sometimes wanting.. 1. A. multiflorum. 
Spikelets $in., 2-4-flowered. Awn from 4 to } the length of the 
flowering glume 2. A. aristatum. 
** Awn very long, from 3 to 5 times the length of the flowering glume. 
Spikelets 14-3 in. long with the awns; awn usually slender .. 3. A. scabrum. 
1. A. multiflorum’. 7 Kirk in’ Trans, N.Z. Inst. xxix (1897) 530,— 
Perennial. Culms densely tufted, branched, decumbent or almost  pro- 
strate at the base, erect above, quite smooth and glabrous, leafy, 1-2 ft. 
high. Leaves 3-8in. long, about Zin. broad, flat or slightly convolute 
when dry, tapering from the base upwards, somewhat rigid and coriaceous, 
prominently striate, rough above, often glaucous; sheaths tight, pale, 
grooved ; ligules short, truncate, membranous. Spike straight, erect, 
3-6 in. long, of 6-12 spikelets ; rhachis pubescent on the angles. Spikelets 
about lin. long, close or somewhat distant, erect, appressed to the rhachis, 
6-12-flowered. Two outer glumes small, unequal, lanceolate, acuminate, 
3-T-nerved. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate when spread out, con- 
volute, smooth and rounded on the back below, scabridly keeled above, 
7-9-nerved, coriaceous, acute or mucronate or produced into a short awn 
of varying length. Palea sharply keeled and folded, ciliolate on the keels.— 
Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 921. Triticum multiflorum Banks and 
Sol. ex Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 311; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 342; 
Buch. N.Z. Grasses (1880) t. 568. TT. repens A. Rich. Fl. Now. Zel. (1832) 
138 ; A. Cunn. Precur, (1836) n. 261; Raoul Choisx (1846) 39 (not of Linn.). 
