Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/118

96 duplo longioribus, palea inferiore late obovato-oblonga superue truncata 4-5-dentata quinquenervi nervo medio apicem attingente v. supra medium in aristam mutieam producto, inferiore minima squamseformi (an nulla?), foliis plurimis glabemmis sctaceo-filiformibus eulmo brevioribus. (Tab. LIII.)

Hab. Campbell's Island ; on elevated and exposed rocks at the highest summits of the mountains.

Radix fibrosa. Cidmi csespitosi, basi interdum inclinati, stricti v. curvati, saepius divisi, 1-2 unc. longi, bis terve nodosi, copiose foliosi, una cum foliis 3 liu. lati, supcrne nudi, stricti, foha ~ superantes, teretes, laeves, nitidi, nodis incrassatis. Folia plurima, basi vaginantia, stricta, curvata v. superne subrecurva, lineari-setacea, iiivoluta, rigida, profunde striata, vix 1— 1-J uiiciaba, sub lente setis minimis ascendentibus scaberula, laete viridia. Vagina latiusculae, aperta?, lamina; aequilongae, his latiores, basi submembranaceae, sulcata;, ad orem gradatim angustatae; ligula scariosa, late ovata, obtusa, apice saspius lacera. Panicida sub unc. longa, contracts, 2 hn. lata, pauci-sub 13-flora; rachi ramisque erectis, scabridis. Spicula rnajusculae, brevissime pedicellatae ; pedicebo valido, scaberulo. Glumarum valva inaequales, superior major, lin. longa, utraeque lanceolatae, acutae, marginibus superne eUiatis, carina scabrido-dentata. Palea inferior menibranacea, glaberrima, late oblonga, superne abrupte truncata, irregulariter erosa v. subquadridentata, nervo medio interdum ad medium in aristam tenuem desinente, mmc ad apicem producto v. infra apicem evanido : palea superior minima, hyalina, enervis, apice truncata v. rotundata, fioscidis honnullis milii non visa. Squamida late cultrifomies. Stamina 3;filamentis brevibus ; ant/ieris late oblongis, stranuneis. Ooarium late elliptico-ovatum ; stylis breviusculis ; stigmatibus pliuuosis. Caryopsis perianthio inclusus sed eo non adhaerens, ovato-oblonga, teres, palea; aequilonga.

A small tufted grass, nestHng in the crevices of rocks in the most elevated places, highly characteristic of the rigorous climate it inhabits. In general appearance it resembles one or two of the Antarctic American species, but is quite distinct from them and from any other with which I am acquainted. The upper palea, if ever really present, is extremely small, what I have taken for it may have been a portion of the lacerated base of the lower; in parts of such extreme minuteness and of so 'membranous and hyaline a texture, it is very difficult to ascertain clearly the true position and form of this organ and of the squamulae.

Plate LIII. Fig. 1, a spikelet ;fig, 2, front, mi fig. 3, back view of floret ; fig. 4, squamida, stamens and ovarium; fig. 5, ripe caryopsis : — all magnified.

§. II. Palea superiore basi setula aucta.

4. Agrostis AucMandica, Hook. fil.; panieula contracta, glumarum valvis subasquilongis dorso ciliatis flosculo breviter pedicellato duplo longioribus, palea inferiore subsericea basi barbata apice bifida quinque-nervi, nervo medio in aristam validam geniculatam producto, palea superiore paulo breviore apice bifida bicarinata carinis ciliatis basi setula longe plumoso-ciliata aucta, fobis radicabbus erecto-patentibus strictis.

Hab. Lord Auckland's group ; rocky places on the very tops of the hills, scarce.

Culmi csespitosi, breviusculi, 3-4 unc. longi, validi, erecti, basi foliosi, simpbces v. parce ramosi, superne folio unico foliisve duobus vaginati. Folia breria, sub pollicaria, stricta, erecto-patentia, hneari-subulata, v. subsetacea, involuta, striata, glaberrima. Vagina laminam subajquantes et paido latiores, fobonun superiorum elongata?, profunde striatas, utrinque attenuatae, metbo tui-gidse, ore contracto; ligula ovata, scariosa. Panicida J mic. longa, paucifiora; rachi ramisque scabridis. Gluma sub 1£ Hn. longa; valvce lanceolatae, acuminata;, concavae, uninerves, acute carinatae, carina cihata, floscido incluso bis longiores, superior paido brevior. Flosadus brerissime petbcellatus. Palea inferior ima basi sericeo-barbata, concava, apice bifida, inter segmenta subacuta aristata, subsericea, qiunquenervis, marginibus dorsoque ciliatis ; arista valida geniculato-curvata, scabrida, imo apice obtusa. Palea superior inferiore panun brevior v. aequilonga, lineari-oblonga, apice bifida, binerris, bicarinata, carinis argute cihato-