PLANTS JAVANIC^E RARIORES. 571
ATAXIA HORSFIELDII. i*
Tab. III.
Ataxia, Br. in Chlor. Melv.p. 35. Kunth, Agrost. Synopt. y p. 39.
Char. Gen. Gluma locustam trifloram subsequans. Floscidus inferior masculus bivalvis ; intermedins univalvis neuter : uterque dorso aristatus ; terminalis hermaphro- ditus diandrus.
Gram en tarn habitu quam structurd inter Anthoxanthum et Hierocbloam medium, pariterque odoratuni. Gluma incequivalvis. Flosculi a basi br evissim a persist enti racheos conjunctim solubiles. Valvula superior hermaphroditi flos- culi uninervis ) staminibus axibus valvularum oppositis.
Obs. Ataxia along with Hierochloe and Anthoxanthum form a very •natural and well characterised section, which belongs rather to the tribe Avenacece than to Phalaridece ; and these three genera are in reality so nearly related that they may perhaps be more properly considered as sections of one and the same genus ; or at least Hierochloe and Ataxia might be united. It is deserving of notice that in all of them the upper valve of the hermaphrodite flosculus has a single nerve occupying its axis, and that one of the two stamina is placed opposite to this nerve. The co- existence of these two characters, both of which are remark- able deviations from the usual arrangement in Graminese, seems to invalidate the hypothesis respecting the com- position of the inner valve of the flower in this family. 1 It might, however, be assumed that the median nerve in these genera is formed of two confluent cords, a view to a certain extent supported by the somewhat analogous struc- ture in the corolla of Compositse. It might also be assumed
1 General Remarks, &c. in Flinders's Voyage, vol. ii, App. p. 5 SO [vol. i, p. 55].
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