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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

23. Danthonia, D.c

23. Danthonia, D.c.

Perennial or rarely annual grasses. Leaves very variable. Spikelets 3-to many-flowered, laterally compressed, arranged in a lax or dense panicle, rarely in a simple raceme rhachilla disarticulating above the 2 outer glumes and between the flowering glumes, produced beyond the uppermost flower. Two outer glumes persistent, empty, equal or more or less unequal, keeled, acute or acuminate, 3–7-nerved, as long as the whole spikelet or slightly shorter. Flowering glumes 2 or more, rounded on the back, usually ciliate on the margins, 5–9-nerved, hairy, the hairs often collected into variously arranged tufts, 2-lobed at the tip, the lobes often produced into short awn-like bristles; awn from the sinus between the lobes, usually long and rigid and twisted, rarely reduced to a mucro; callus at the base of the glume, hairy. Palea broad, hyaline, 2 - keeled. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Styles distinct stigmas plumose. Grain oblong, ellipsoid, or obovoid, free within the flowering glume and palea.

Species not far from 100, widely dispersed in both hemispheres, but chiefly in the south temperate zone, particularly abundant in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Of the 13 species found in New Zealand, 2 extend to Australia, the rest are endemic.

* Two outer glumes shorter than the spikelet, very rarely almost equalling it.

Culms tall, stout. Panicle large; spikelets numerous.
Culms 2–5 ft. Leaves ¼–⅕ in., often pilose. Panicle 6–18 in., lax. Awn straight, not flattened nor twisted at the base 1. D. Cunning- hamii.
Culms 1–½–2 ft. Leaves pilose. Panicle 3–4 in., lax. Flowering glume with separate tufes of hairs on the margins and back 2. D. ovata.page 884
Culms 1–4 ft. Leaves involute. Panicle 4–6 in., ovate, dense. Awn seldom twisted 3. D. bromoides.
Culms 2–5 ft. Leaves involute. Panicle 4–18 in., lax. Awn flattened and [gap — reason: illegible] twisted at the base 4. D. Raoulii.
†† Culms shorter, 6–18 in. Panicle small, 1–3 in. long; spikelets few 3–12.
Culms 6–18 in. Leaves involute, compressed. Spikelets 8–12.Nerves of flowering glume connected by transverse veinlets 5. D. crassiuscula.
Culms 2–6 in. Leaves involute, flattened, erect, rigid, pungent-pointed, glaucous. Spikelets 3–8 6. D. pungens.
Culms 6–18 in., much branched below. Leaves very narrow, involute, terete, wiry. Spikelets 3–8; awn twisted 7. D. australis.
Culms 6–12 in. Leaves flat or involute, not terete. Spikelets 4–8; awn not twisted 8. D. oreophila.
Culms 9–14 in. Leaves flat, thin. Spikelets 6–12 awn twisted 9. D. planifolia.
** Two outer glumes longer than the spikelets.
Culms 12–24 in., often pilose. Panicle 1–4 in., narrow. Flowering glume with two marginal tufts of hairs, but no transverse rings. Awn long 10. D. pilosa.
Culms 3–30 in., usually glabrous. Panicle 1–4 in., narrow, compact. Flowering glume with 2 dense transverse rings of silky hairs. Awn long 11. D. semiannularis.
Culms 3–12 in., glabrous. Panicle 4/3–2 in. Flowering glume sparsely silky, transverse rings obscure. Awn hardly longer than the glume 12. D. Buchanani.
Culms 3–9 in., glabrous. Panicle ½–1½ in. Flowering glume with 2 minute tufts of hairs on the margins (often confluent). Awn very short indeed 13. D. nuda.
1. D. Cunninghamii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 332.—Densely tufted, often forming large tussocks. Culms stout, 2–5 ft. high, ¼–½ in. diam. at the base, glabrous or more or less pilose Leaves ¼–½ ft. long, ¼–⅓ in. broad, rigid and coriaceous, flat or concave, strongly nerved, midrib prominent beneath, glabrous or pilose on the margins and upper surface in the lower half of the leaf, margins scaberulous; sheaths rather lax, often ½ in. broad or even more, deeply grooved, usually silky-pilose in the grooves; ligules reduced to a transverse line of densely set short silky hairs. Panicle large, erect or inclined, effuse or compact, 6–18 in. long; branches few or many, solitary or binate or in alternate fascicles, 3–12 in. long branchlets slender, capillary, scaberulous, few-flowered. Spikelets rather distant, pedicelled, ⅓–½ in. long without the awns, 3–7-flowered. Two outer glumes unequal, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, membranous, 3-nerved, the upper one shorter than the flowering glume above it. Flowering glumes clothed with long silky hairs at the base and along the lower half of the margins, glabrous elsewhere, 7–9-nerved, deeply 2-fid at the tip with the points produced into short awns awn from between the lobes, about ⅓ in. long, straight or recurved, not flattened nor twisted at the page 885base. Palea nearly as long as the glume, linear-oblong.—Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 29. D. antarctica var. laxiflora, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 302. D. rigida, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 303, t. 69A (not of Raoul). D. pentaflora, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 343.Agrostis pilosa, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 254 (not of A. Rich.).

North and South Islands, Stewart Island From the Bay of Islands southwards, but often local or absent from large districts. Sea-level to 3500 ft.

A handsome species, often attaining a large size. It is distinguished from all the forms of D. Raoulii by the flatter leaves, which are often softly pilose on the sheaths and margins, and by the rather smaller spikelets with a straight subulate awn, not flattened nor twisted at the base.

2.

D. ovata, Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. xxix. 2.—Culms1½–2 ft. high, pilose below. Leaves 10–12 in. long, narrow, involute, pilose; ligule wanting or reduced to a narrow line of short hairs with a tuft of longer ones on each side. Panicle 3–4 in. long, erect, ovate; branches alternate, 1–1⅓ in. long. Spikelets alternate on the branches, ½ in. long, 4–6-flowered. Two outer glumes subequal, 3-nerved. Flowering glumes silky at the base, fringed on the margins and back with pencils of short hairs, 9-nerved, 2-fid at the tip, the divisions produced into short awns; central awn straight, not flattened nor twisted at the base. Palea bifid, margins with long straggling hairs.

South Island:Otago—Mount Eglinton, Southland, J. Morton.

The above description is an abstract of Mr. Buchanan's, the plant being unknown to me. It appears to differ from D. Cunninghamii in the smaller size, smaller panicle, and, according to Mr. Buchanan's plate, in the numerous separate tufts of short hairs on the margins and back of the flowering glume.

3.D. bromoides,Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 303, t. 68A.—Densely tufted, forming tussocks 1–4 ft. high. Culms stout, often as thick as the little finger at the base, quite glabrous, leafy throughout. Leaves longer or shorter than the culms, involute, gradually narrowed into very slender almost filiform points, coriaceous, smooth, polished, deeply striate; margins smooth, often pilose with long hairs towards the base; sheaths long, pale, compressed, grooved, margins scarious ligules reduced to a transverse band of short densely set silky hairs. Panicle short, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, contracted, densely many-flowered, 4–6 in. long; rhachis glabrous, angled; branches short, close, suberect, 1–3 in. long. Spikelets pedicelled, about ¾ in. long without the awns, rather broad, oblong or linear-oblong, 4–10-flowered, the upper flower usually imperfect. Two outer glumes about § the length of the spikelet, unequal, lanceolate, obscurely 3–5-nerved. Flowering glumes clothed in their lower half with long silky hairs on the margins and back, 7–9-nerved, sharply 2-fid at the tip, the divisions often pro-page 886duced into short awns; intermediate awn from between the divisions, ½–¾ in. long, stout, erect or spreading, convex or slightly flattened at the base, rarely twisted. Palea linear-oblong, 2-nerved, ciliate on the nerves.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 352. Bromus antarcticus, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 97, t. 54. Danthonia antarctica var. elata, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 302.

North Island In various localities near the sea, rare and local. Auckland—Between Whangaroa and Mongonui, T. F. C.;Bay of Islands, Kirk! T. F. C.;Maunganui Bluff, Petrie!Wellington—Hills near Wellington, Stephenson; near Cape Palliser, Buchanan!Auckland and Campbell Islands Abundant on the hills, Hooker, Buchanan! Kirk!

I do not feel at all certain that the Auckland and Campbell Islands plant, originally described by Hooker as Bromus antarcticus, has been rightly merged by him with the North Island D. bromoides.It is much larger and stouter, with larger spikelets containing more numerous florets, and often forms tussocks 3–4 ft. high, attaining a size almost equal to that of D. Raoulii, whereas the typical bromoides is rarely more than 18 in. high. If further investigation should prove it to be distinct, there seems to be no reason why Hooker's name of D. antarctica (Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 302) should not be reapplied to it, for although he also included the plant now known as D. Cunninghamii it was as a separate variety, the Auckland Islands plant being evidently treated as the type of the species.

4.D. Raoulii,Steud. Syn. Pl. Gram. 246.—Densely tufted, forming large brownish-green tussocks 2–5 ft. high. Culms stout or slender, smooth, often branched at the base. Leaves numerous, longer or shorter than the culms, variable in width at the base, gradually narrowed into long filiform points, strongly involute and rush-like when dry, coriaceous, smooth and polished on the back, ribbed on the inner face; margins smooth, glabrous or pilose just above the ligules; sheaths brownish, much broader than the blade, often lax and scarious towards the base, coriaceous above, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; ligules reduced to a transverse band of short dense hairs. Panicle variable in size, 4–18 in. long, lax; branches few or many, divided, slender, filiform, smooth and glabrous; pedicels long, often silky towards the tips. Spikelets ½–¾ in. long without the awns, 4–10-flowered. Two empty glumes unequal, from ½–⅔ the length of the spikelet, ovate-lanceolate, the lower 3-nerved, the upper 5-nerved, the lateral nerves usually short. Flowering glumes with long silky hairs at the base and on the margins for half their length or more, often also fringed on the lower part of the back, deeply bifid at the tip, the divisions usually produced into short scabrid awns, 7–9-nerved; central awn long, ⅓–½ in., straight or recurved, flattened and usually twisted at the base. Palea rather shorter than the glume, 2-nerved, silky on the nerves.—Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 30. D. rigida, Raoul, Choix, 12; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 303, t. 69A (not of Steud.).

Var. flavescens, Hack. MSS.—More robust; culms often ½ in. diam at the base. Leaves broader; sheaths sometimes ½–¾ in. across; lamina ¾–⅓ in. at the base. Spikelets rather larger.—D. flavescens, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 332; Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 32.

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Var. Cheesemanii, Hack. MSS.—Culms slender. Leaves pale-green, complicate, compressed, not terete and rush-like when dry, strongly ribbed on both surfaces; margins and ribs on the back rough and scabrid. Panicle-branches scaberulous. Awn rarely twisted.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island: From Mount Hikurangi and Mount Egmont southwards, abundant in hilly and mountain districts. Sea-level to 5000 ft. "Snow-grass."Var. Cheesemanii: Open forests near the source of the Takaka River, Nelson, altitude 3000 ft., T. F. C.

A most abundant plant in the elevated hilly districts of the South Island, often forming the major portion of the vegetation over large areas. I agree with Professor Hackel in considering D. flavescens to be simply a broad-leaved state of D. Raoulii, in point of fact the two forms graduate into one another so insensibly that it is impossible to draw a strict line of demarcation between them.

5.D. crassiuscula, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1885) 224.—Culms tufted, forming lax tussocks, stout, strict, erect, leafy, 6–18 in. high. Leaves shorter or rarely longer than the culms, distichous, rigid and coriaceous, curved, gradually narrowed to the tips but not drawn out into filiform points, strongly involute, compressed, smooth and polished on the back, with numerous thick veins in front, margins smooth; sheaths stout, much broader than the blade, smooth, grooved, margins thinner and scarious; ligules reduced to an obscure band of short stiff hairs. Panicle short, lax, broadly ovate, 1½–3 in. long; branches few, spreading, 2–3-spiculate, and with the rhachis more or less silky-pubescent. Spikelets about ⅓ in. long without the awns, 4–7-flowered. Two outer glumes unequal, lanceolate, 3–5-nerved, the longer frequently ⅘ the length of the entire spikelet. Flowering glumes densely silky at the base, and with long silky hairs on the margins and back for about half their length, 7–9-nerved, the nerves connected by transverse veins at about the level of the awn, tip deeply bifid, the lobes pointed but not awned; central awn ¼–⅓ in. long, flat at the base and often twisted. Palea slightly shorter than the glume.

South Island Canterbury—Mountains above the Broken River, T. F. C.; Upper Waimakariri, Cockayne!Westland—Kelly's Hill, Petrie!Otago—Mount Arnould, Hector Mountains, Petrie! mountains above Lake Harris, Longwood Range, Kirk!Stewart Island Mount Anglem, Kirk! 3500–6000 ft.

Closely allied to D. Raoulii, but a smaller and proportionately stouter plant, with shorter compressed leaves not drawn out into filiform points, much smaller panicles with silky-pubescent branches, smaller spikelets with longer outer glumes, and with the nerves of the flowering glumes connected by transverse veinlets.

6.D. pungens, Cheesem. n. sp.—Culms densely tufted, branched at the base, forming irregular patches about 1 ft. across, smooth, slender, rigid, 2–6 in. high. Leaves mostly at the base of the culms and much shorter than them, distichous, 1½–3 in. long, about 1/10 in. broad at the base, gradually tapering upwards into a pungent point, page 888strict, erect, rigid and coriaceous, involute, almost; equitant at the base, finely striate, glaucous; margins thickened, smooth; sheaths compressed, grooved; ligules reduced to a narrow band of short white hairs. Panicle small, lax, ovate, 1–1⅓ in. long, of 3–8-spikelets; branches few, slender, silky. Spikelets about ⅓ in. long without the awns, 3–5-flowered. Two outer glumes slightly unequal, almost as long as the spikelet, lanceolate, membranous, 3–5-nerved. Flowering glumes silky at the base, and equally clothed with silky hairs for half their length, 7–9-nerved, deeply 2-fid at the apex, the lobes lanceolate, acute but not awned; central awn flattened and usually spirally twisted at the base. Palea almost as long as the flowering glume, ciliate on the nerves and silky on the margins near the base.

Stewart Island:Smith's Lookout, altitude 1000 ft., Kirk!

A curious little plant, at once recognised by the flattened rigid and pungent-pointed leaves.

7.D. australis,Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 31.—Forming extensive patches on alpine or subalpine slopes. Culms much branched at the base, prostrate or decumbent and covered with the remains of the old leaves, ascending and then erect above, quite glabrous, 6–18 in. high. Leaves numerous towards the base of the culms and much shorter than them, distichous, imbricate, strict, rigid, erect or curved to one side, 2–6 in. long, about 1/40 in. broad, closely involute, smooth and polished, acute at the tip; sheaths short, closely overlapping, tight, much broader than the blade ligules reduced to a line of silky hairs. Panicle small, lax, 1–2 in. long, of 3–8 spikelets on slender capillary silky-pubescent branches. Spikelets ½ –⅔ in. long, 4–7-flowered. Two outer glumes slightly unequal, lanceolate, acuminate, membranous, 5–7-nerved, from ⅘ to ⅚ the length of the spikelet. Flowering glumes silky at the base and with the back and margins fringed with silky hairs for more than half their length, deeply 2-fid at the tip, the divisions produced into short scabrid awns, 7–9-nerved; central awn ⅓ –½ in. long, slender, flat and spirally twisted at the base. Palea shorter than the glume, linear-oblong.—D. Raoulii var. australis, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. iv. (1872) 224.

South Island Not uncommon on the mountains of Nelson, Canterbury, and Westland, altitude 3500–6000 ft. "Carpet-grass";" Hassock-grass."

A well-marked species, often covering acres on the higher mountains of Nelson and North Canterbury, usually affecting steep slopes. After the melting of the snow in early summer, which usually leaves the culms and leaves pointing downhill, these slopes are most slippery and treacherous to cross. There is a specimen in Mr. Petrie's herbarium marked "Campbell Island, J. Buchanan."

8.D. oreophila,Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 406.—Culms densely tufted, much branched at the base, slender, erect, leafy, 6–12 in. high. Leaves subdistichous, 2–5 in. long by 1/12–1/10; in. page 889broad at the base, tapering upwards into long slender points, flat or involute, grooved, margins scaberulous above; ligules reduced to a transverse band of short dense hairs with a few longer ones on each side. Panicle about 1½ in. long, broadly ovate, lax, of 4–8 spikelets; branches few, capillary, glabrous or with a tuft of silky hairs at the forks. Spikelets ¼ –⅓ in. long, 4–7-fiowered. Two outer glumes slightly unequal, acute, membranous, 3–5-nerved, about ⅘ the length of the spikelet. Flowering glumes densely silky at the base and on the margins for half their length, a few silky hairs also along the lower part of the back, membranous, 9-nerved, deeply 2-fid at the tip, the lobes broad, acute but not awned; intermediate awn from between the lobes, about frac15; in. long, reflexed, flattened at the base but not twisted. Palea linear-oblong, 2-nerved, ciliate on the nerves.—D. pallida, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvi. (1894) 271 (not of R. Br.).

South Island:Canterbury—Candlestick Range, Cockayne!Westland—Kelly's Hill, Petrie! 3500–4500 ft.

Allied to D. australis, but much less rigid and not so densely tufted, with broader flatter leaves; the panicle-branches are nearly glabrous and the spikelets smaller and paler; the terminal lobes of the flowering glume are broader and not awned; and the central awn is shorter and not twisted at the base. It is still nearer to D. planifolia.

9.D. planifolia,Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxxiii. (1901) 328.—Culms apparently not tufted, sparingly branched at the base, erect, slender, glabrous, 9–14 in. high. Leaves chiefly at the base of the culms and much shorter than them, 2–5 in. long, 1/10–⅙ in. broad, gradually tapering to an acute point, flat, smooth, striate; sheaths rather lax, pale, grooved, the uppermost much longer than the blade; ligules a transverse band of long soft hairs. Panicle short, lax, ovate, 1½ –2 in. long, of 6–12 spikelets branches few, slender, silky with long hairs. Spikelets rather large, about ½ in. long, pale-green tinged with purple, 3–5-flowered. Two outer glumes subequal, lanceolate, acuminate, membranous, 3–5-nerved, about as long as the spikelet. Flowering glumes densely silky at the base, and with long silky hairs along the margins and back for half their length, deeply 2-fid at the apex, the lobes acute or acuminate, but scarcely awned; 7–9-nerved; intermediate awn from between the lobes, ⅓ –½ in. long, more or less flattened and twisted at the base. Palea linear-oblong, deeply bifid, 2-nerved, nerves ciliate.

South Island: Otago—Clinton Saddle, to the west of Lake Te Anau, Petrie! 2500 ft.

This only differs from D. oreophila in the flatter and more membranous leaves, larger spikelets with longer empty glumes, and longer awn usually twisted at the base. I have seen few specimens, and these all from one locality. It is not improbable that further investigations may reduce the plant to a variety of D. oreophila.

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10.D. pilosa,R. Br. Prodr. 177.—Culms tufted, slender, glabrous or sparingly pilose, leafy at the base, 1–2 ft. high, rarely more. Leaves usually much shorter than the culms, narrow, often setaceous, involute or rarely flat, glabrous or pilose with spreading hairs; sheaths narrow, grooved, pilose or glabrous; ligules reduced to a transverse band of long soft hairs. Panicle 1–4 in. long, usually narrow and contracted, sometimes racemiform; branches short, erect. Spikelets about ½ in. long, 4–8-flowered. Two outer glumes exceeding the flowering glumes, subequal, lanceolate, acute, membranous, 7-nerved. Flowering glumes 7–9-nerved, deeply 2-lobed at the tip, the lobes produced into fine awns as long or longer than the glume, central awn from between the lobes, ex-serted beyond the spikelet, flattened and spirally twisted and often dark-coloured at the base, a tuft of silky hairs at the base of the callus or pedicel of the glume, a tuft on the margin on each side above the callus, sometimes connected by hairs on the back, and another marginal tuft on each side opposite to the base of the lobes, the sides and back between usually glabrous. Palea broad, obtuse or shortly bifid at the tip.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 303; Fl. Tasm. ii. 120; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 594 Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 33. D. semiannularis var. pilosa, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 333. D. nervosa, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 612 (not of Hook. f.).

Var. racemosa,Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 33(2)b.—Culms very slender, drooping. Panicle reduced to a slender raceme of 4–10 almost sessile spikelets.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island Abundant throughout. Sea-level to 4000 ft.

D. pilosa is technically distinguished from D. semiannularis by the absence of the transverse ring of hairs on the flowering glume just below the lobes. In the typical state this ring is reduced to a small tuft of hairs on each margin of the glume, the sides and back between the tufts being quite glabrous. But occasionally there are a few hairs on the back of the glume as well, and sometimes these become so numerous as almost to form a transverse ring, thus breaking down the distinction between the two species. D. pilosa is also found in Australia, ranging from Queensland to Tasmania and West Australia.

11.D. semiannularis,R. Br. Prodr. 177.—Very variable in size, usually 1–2 ft. high, but often dwarfed to a few inches, and sometimes attaining 3 ft. Culms tufted, slender, smooth, glabrous or sparingly pilose. Leaves shorter than the culms, narrow, flat or involute, often almost setaceous; sheaths grooved, glabrous or pilose with long spreading hairs; ligules reduced to a narrow transverse band of soft silky hairs, those on the outside the longest. Panicle 1–4 in. long, usually compact and more or less contracted branches few, short, erect. Spikelets ¼ –½ in. long without the awns, 3–8-flowered. Two outer glumes exceeding the flowering glumes, subequal, lanceolate, acute, membranous, 5–7-nerved. Flowering glumes 7 – 9 - nerved, deeply2 - lobed at the tip, the page 891lobes produced into fine awns often as long as the glume, central awn from between the lobes, usually exserted beyond the spikelet, flat and spirally twisted at the base, a ring of short silky hairs around the glume at the base, and a transverse ring of longer hairs (often arranged in separate tufts) just below the base of the lobes. Palea exceeding the base of the awn, narrow - oblong.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 304; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 333; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 595; Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 34. D. unarede, Raoul, Choix, 11, t. 4. D. gracilis, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 303, t. 69b.

Var. setifolia, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 304.—Culms more densely tufted. Leaves very narrow, terete from the strongly involute margins, strict, wiry, erect. Panicle smaller, with fewer spikelets. Flowering glumes less copiously silky, the hairs of the upper transverse band shorter.—D. semiannularis var. alpina, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. iv. (1872) 225; N.Z. Grasses, t. 34(2)a.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands: Abundant throughout, var. setifolia in mountainous situations. Sea-level to 4500 ft.

Also abundant throughout the whole of temperate Australia. In New Zealand this species and D. pilosa are now largely sown as pasture grasses, especially in the northern part of the colony. On stiff clay soils they are far more permanent than most introduced species, and might with advantage be substituted for them.

12.D. Buchanani,Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 333.—Culms tufted, slender, smooth, quite glabrous, 3–12 in. high. Leaves mostly at the base of the stems and much shorter than them, strict, erect, wiry, very narrow, involute, filiform or nearly so sheaths pale, glabrous, deeply grooved; ligules reduced to a band of short white hairs. Panicle small, contracted, ¾ –2 in. long, of 4–12 spikelets branches few, scaberulous. Spikelets pale-green, ¼ –½ in.long, 3–5-flowered. Two outer glumes exceeding the flowering glumes and often the awns as well, subequal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 3–5-nerved. Flowering glumes 7–9-nerved, 2-lobed at the tip, the lobes produced into short awns, central awn from between the lobes, short, hardly equalling the length of the glume, straight or bent, not at all or very obscurely twisted at the base, a tuft of silky hairs at the base of the glume and on the margins higher up, usually connected by straggling hairs on the back and sides, forming an indistinct transverse ring. Palea oblong. 2-nerved nerves ciliate.

South Island: Canterbury—Upper Waimakariri, Kirk! Petrie! T. F. C.;Mount Torlesse, Petrie!Otago—Lake district, Hector and Buchanan!Kurow, Mount Ida, Macrae's, Pembroke, Bendigo, Lake Te Anau, Petrie! 1000–3000 ft.

Very closely allied to D. semiannularis, with which Professor Hackel is disposed to unite it. But the spikelets are smaller, the awns shorter, often not exserted beyond the outer glumes, and the flowering glume is shorter and broader, and more sparingly silky. The plant figured by Mr. Buchanan in his New Zealand Grasses (t. 35) as Danthonia Buchanani is a slender form of Hierochloe redolens.

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13.D. nuda,Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel.il 337.—Culms slender, tufted, branched at the base, quite glabrous, 3–9 in. high. Leaves much shorter than the culms, involute, filiform, quite smooth and glabrous sheaths pale, grooved ligules reduced to a band of silky hairs. Panicle small, erect, contracted, ½–1½ in. long, of 5–15 spike-lets branches few, short, pubescent. Spikelets greenish-white, small, ⅙–¼ in. long, 3–6-flowered. Two outer glumes usually exceeding the flowering glumes and awns, subequal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 3–5-nerved. Flowering glumes short and broad, ovate, 7–9-nerved, very shortly bifid at the tip, central awn from between the lobes, very short, ⅙–⅛ the length of the glume, not twisted at the base, a tuft of silky hairs at the base of the glume, and two small marginal tufts (sometimes confluent) on each side higher up, back of the glume quite glabrous. Palea oblong, shorter than the glume. —Handb. N.Z. Fl. 333 Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 36a. D. Thom-soni, Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 36(2).

North Island Mountains near the East Coast, Colenso.South Island Nelson—Mount Arthur Plateau, T. F. C.Canterbury—Broken River, Petrie! T. F. C.Poulter River, Cockayne!Lake Tekapo, T. F. C.Otago—Kahiku Hills, Buchanan; common in dry places in the eastern and central portions of the district, Petrie!Sea-level to 3500 ft.

The description given above is based upon South Island specimens, the plant not having been observed in the North Island since its original discovery by Mr. Colenso sixty years ago. As Hooker's description does not quite match the southern plant, the identity of the two must remain doubtful for the present.