Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/114

This page needs to be proofread.
92
FLORA ANTARCTICA.
[Auckland and

basi sub barbatis infra apices trancatas aristatis marginibus longe dorsoque ciliatis, hermaphrodito obtuso apice mueronato v. subaristato, foliis plaiiis glabriusculis, ligulis late ovatis obtusis. H. redolens, Brown, Prodr. p. 209 (in observat.). Kunth Agrost. p. 37 (in part.). H. Banksiana, Encll. Bemerhmgen iiher die Flora der Siidseeinseln, p. 156. no. 549. Holcus reddens, Sol. MSS. et Font. Prodr. no. 563. non Vahl. Torresia redolens, Roem. et Schultes, vol. ii. p. 516. A. Cu?m. Prodr. Flor. Nov. Zel. in Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. vol. ii. p. 372.

Hab. Campbell's Island; in marshy places near the sea; rare, not observed in Lord Auckland's group.

Gramen perenne, plerumque elatum tri-quadripedale, in Insula Campbell vix bipedale, efespitosum, odore suavi. Radices fasciculate?, intertextae, fibrosis ; fibris elongatis, 1-2-uncialibus, crassiusculis, crassitie penna? passerina?, de9- cendentibus, duris, albidis, hie illic fibrillosis. Cidmi basi plus minusve elongati, inclinati v. prostrati, diametr. pennae corvinae et ultra, rarius divisi, nodosi, cylindraeei, ad nodos fibrillosi, superne vaginis scariosis obtecti, interaodiis sub i uncialibus, siqierne ascendentes, rarius erecti, basi coinpressi, foliosi, una ciun foliis i mic. diametr., profunde striati, keves, nitidi, pallide virides, siccitate flavi, remote nodosi, ad nodos subgeniculati, nodis constrictis, fusco-brunneis, opacis, interaodiis J—2 -uncialibus, superioribus 5-8 unc. longis. Folia plurima, culmo subrequilonga, basi longe vaginantia, infima stricta, abbreviata, superiora elongata, 1-2 pedalia, sub i unc. lata, erecto-patentia, demum flexuosa, plana, superne involuta, lierbacea, v. subcoriacea, profunde striata, superne glaberrima, laevia v. sub lente minutissime scaberula, nitida, la?te viridia, subtus glaucescentia scabriuscida. Vaginae 3-7 unc. longa?, compressas, ad basin fissae, profunde striata;, glaberrima?, nitidae, virides, rnbro-purpureo pietae, ad margines scariosa?, inferiores latiores, Mantes, basi purpurascentes, vemicosae ; bgula late ovata, obtusa, scariosa, integra v. lacera. Panic/da gracilis, elongata, inclinata v. nutans, effusa, 6-10 unc. longa, sub 2 unc. lata, pallide flavo-fusca, nitida ; radii striata, glaberrima ; ramis elongatis, gracillimis, angulatis, hie ilbc parce pilosis, inferioribus 2— t unc. longis, nutaiitibus. Spicule pedicellatae, pedicellis spicula f brevioiibus, pilosis. Gluma bivalvis, membranaceo-scariosa, glaberrima, nitida ; valves subaequales flosculis paido longiores v. aequilonga?, 2-3 lin. longae, acuminata?, uervo medio tenui, dorso subdenticulato ; inferior uninervis v. rarissime basi nervia duobus lateralibus brevissimis ; superior trinervis, nervis lateralibus medium vix attingentibus, inconspicuis, viridlbus. Floscidus inferior subsessilis, intermedins tenninalisque pedicellati. Flosculi laterales. — Palea inferior ovato-oblonga, superne subtruncata, cmarginata v. bifida, dorso aristata, quinquenervis, v. inaequilateralis et sexnervis, ad nervos angnlata, inferne ciliato-subbarbata, superne pubescens v. pilosa, dorso brevissime ad maxginesque longe sericeo-cihata, ciliis margiuum rectis v. paulo eurvatis ; arista erecta, infra apicem inserta, gluma breviore, scabrida : Palea superior inferiore paulo brevior, lineari-oblonga, bifida, bicarinata, carinis extus ciliatis. Stamina 3 ; filamentis breviusculis ; antlieris elongatis, stramineis. Floscuiajs terminalis v. intermedius lateralibus i minor. Palea inferior ut in flosculis lateralibus sed plerumque glaberrima, apice tautum puberula et dorso versus apicem ciliata ; arista brevi, infra apicem inserta, hispida. Palea superior lineari-oblonga, concava, apice truncata, medio uninervis, v. rarius nervis duobus, apiee extus nervoque dorso pubescentibus. Squamula 2, ovato-lanceolata?, acuminata?.. Stamina 2 ; fila- mentis brevibus ; antlieris parvis. Ovarium oblongo-lanccolatiun, utriuque attenuatum. Styli basi coutigm, palea bis longiores. Caryopm parva, cylindracea.

The above described plant is very nearly allied both to the Hierocldoe antarctica, Br., and to the II. Magellaniea, Pal. de Beauv., if indeed these three be truly distinct. When describing the first of them, Mr. Brown remarks, " huic quam maxime affinis est Holcus redolens, Forst :" and he draws the chief distinction from the inner glume of the latter being three-nerved and the cilia? on the margin of its lower florets being curved. In the Tasmanian specimens of H. antarctica, which I have examined, I find that the upper glume is often furnished with two short lateral nerves at the base, and in the New Zealand species (H. redolens) the cilia? alluded to are as often straight as curved. Perhaps a more constant character between the plants of these two countries exists in the surface of the leaves of the //. antarctica being decidedly scabrid, not only to the touch but under a moderate magnifying power, its florets also are not so abruptly truncated ; I have not been able to detect any other points of difference. The South