The grasses of Central Australia

This study is the first specific treatment in Australia of the grasses of a natural region. It gives a taxonomic and ecological account of all known grass species in the arid part of the Northern Territory, an area of about 240,000 square miles. There is a description in technical and general terms of each of the 132 species, with taxonomic keys to genera and species, and with additional data on geographic and land- type distribution, ecological relationships, and economic value. Photographs, with enlargements of spikelet and floret, illustrate 123 of the species. The book has been designed to appeal to a wide range of readers with an interest in botany. On the one hand precise botanical descriptions, citations of verified collections, and bibliographic data help the taxonomist to determine circumscription and variation and to relate the affinities of the known taxa to those not yet recognised. On the other hand the macroscopic descriptions, glossary, illustrations, and supporting sections are for the use of the ecologist, pastoralist, and agriculturalist not directly concerned with plant taxonomy. Though compiled specifically for central Australia, the material of this book has application to all Australian arid and semi-arid areas. Since the flora of the interior includes tropical and temperate elements, there are also similarities with adjacent climatic zones. In its coverage of the grasses of the low rainfall region, the book contributes to our knowledge of the major component of a flora characteristic of almost three-quarters of the Australian continent, providing a basis for further research and development studies