Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/117

Campbell's Islands.] Of this grass I have only seen immature specimens, with the panicle, however, fully formed; it is very distinct from any species with which I am acquainted, certainly wanting the' rudimentary setula of the second flower, and, as far as I can observe, the upper palea also. Its habit and general appearance are decidedly those of A. Bittardieri, Br. and A. cemula, Br., plants which have been removed not only from this genus, but into a separate division of the Natural Order (Arundinacete) as it is now divided. These, with several other Australian and New Zealand species appear to form a very natural group, though they vary in the presence or absence of the upper palea, of the setula, of the awn, and of a bearded pedicel to the flower; neither the genus Lacltnagrostis (founded by Trinius) as defined by Nees (Act. Acad. Cees. Leop., &c, vol. xix. Suppl. p. 146), nor Deyeuxia, Clar., as adopted by Kunth (Agrost., p. 239.), will include these species. Under whatever genus they may rank, their affinity appears to me to be near Agrostis, L. and not with Calamagrostk, Adans. and Arundo, L.

2. Agrostis multicaulk, Hook, fil.; panicula contracts lineari-oblonga, glumarmn valvis sequilongis obscure pilosis dorso denticulatis flosculo sessili glaberrinio bis longioribus, palea inferiore late ovata apice truncata quadrifida quinquenervi nervo dorsali ad meaium in aristarn elongatam products, superiore i bre- viore ovata obtusa, setula nulla, foliis substrictis lineari-subulatis, cubnis basi pluries divisis.

Hab. Campbell's Island ; on the sloping faces of the hills in the most exposed parts of the island, not common.

Radix fibrosa. Cidmi fascicidati, 5-7 unc. longi, validi, basi horizontales v. subrepentes, nodosi, ad nodos fibrosi, same genicidati, crassitie penna; auatinae, ramosi, supeme erecti, simplices, remote nodosi, foliosi. Folia plurima, longius vaginantia, 2-3 unc. longa, lineari-lanceolata v. subulata, concava, supeme involuta, striata, utrinque scabrida, luride viridia, opaca. Vagina elongatse, 1-2 unc. longae, ad basin fissse, utrinque contractae, foKomm supremorum medio turgidae, sulcata?, pallide virides, ore contracto ; Vujula ovato-oblonga, scariosa, apice truncata, laeera. Pauicida coarctata, sub 1-1- imc. longa, lineari-oblonga; rachi ramisque validis, scabridis. Spicules pedicellatse ; pedicello breviusculo, infra florem incrassato. Glumarum valva 2 lin. longa?, lanceolata?, acuminata?, obscure scabriuscidse, dorso cihato-dentata?, marginibus superne subdenticulatis. Flosculus sessilis, basi nudus. Palea inferior gluma brevior, glaberrima, late ovata, concava, superne truncata, quadridentata, dentibus erosis, quinquenervis, nervo dorsaH ad medium in aristarn tenuem scabridam glumas superantem producta ; palea superior inferiore brevior, oblonga v. ovato-oblonga, apice rotundata. Stamina 3 ; filamentis brevibus ; anlheris late oblongis, stramineis. Caryopsis lineari-oblonga, utrinque attenuata.

This is not an uncommon grass at the bases of precipices and on the exposed slopes of the island. It is remarkable for being nearly allied to a species brought by Dr. Jameson from the extreme verge of vegetation on Pichincha in Colombia, the A.foliata, mihi ; that species is, however, more leafy and its whole culm is enclosed in the sheathing vagina?.

3. Agrostis subulata, Hook, fil.; parva, csespitosa, panicula erecta paucifiora, glumarum valvis ovato-lanceolatis parce pilosis, dorso margmibusque supra medium scabrido-ciliatis flosculo glaberrimo subsessili