` THE FLORA OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 69 
been newly recovered from the sea, occur the Samolus littoralis, Rhago- 
dias, Atriplex, Enchylena, Kochia, Halocnemum, Arthrocnemum, Cheno- 
podinee, Frankenia, Erythrea, Spergularia, and other salt plants, to 
which, from the cliffs and out of the creeks, Asperococeus, Scaberia, 
Sargassum, Cystoseira, Thamnophora, and. other species of seaweed, are 
thrown up. Great rarities are hardly to be found here, but we may 
nevertheless call attention to Laurencia and Wilsonia. In Mesembry- 
anthemum is seen a connecting link with the South African, in Nitraria 
with the Siberian, and in Crantzia with the North American flora. 
The sandy coasts, on the contrary, are overrun with Mesembryan- 
themum inequilaterale (the so-called native fig), Eurybia lepidophylla, 
Angianthus, Leucophyta, the delightfully fragrant Alywia capitellata, 
Threlkeldia xerotina, Ammophila, Xerotes fragrans, which resembles a 
stemless Palm, Lepidosperma gladiatum (a rush with Iris-leaves), Spini- 
Jex, the creeping Kunzea, Leucopogon Richei (both shrubs with eatable 
_ fruits), Acacia Sophore, and other truly Australian, plants, with which 
are associated Atriplex cinereum and Salsola australis, of European 
type. In spite of this by no means meagre vegetation, the aspect of 
this coast is sad and monotonous, since it is treeless, save that a 
few scattered Casuarinas perhaps in some degree enliven the endless 
waste. 
Towards the interior these plants gradually disappear before the 
bushes which clothe the sand plains, in which the Sandarach Cypress 
(Callitris Preissii), whose érowns, pyramidal in youth, become sparingly 
ramified in old age, and the Erocarpus-trees, from their twigs being 
borne down to the earth, afford shady and, on account of the blooming 
character of the surrounding country, most charming resting-places. 
But the want of water, that necessary spring of life, even where it 
does not entirely preclude us from penetrating into the wide wilder- 
ness of Australia, permits us to bestow only a fleeting glance at the 
rich treasures for which these regions are so pre-eminent. We may 
be permitted merely to call to mind the Cassias, the numerous Acacias, 
with such wonderful forms, Aere intermixed with the vermilion-red 
Dillwynia, Brachycome, Pogonolepis, Loudonia, the golden Centaurea- 
formed Podolepis, Chrysocephalum, Pomaderris and Hibbertia, Polyca- 
lymma, and other everlasting flowers; and there, again, accompanied 
by the Croton-like Beyeria, by woolly Pimeleas, full of acrid sap, 
Dampieras, Hakeas, stemless Xanthorrheas, hard, piercing rushes, and 
