110 



PLANT HABITS AND HABITATS IN THE 



TABLE 15. Temperature at Kapunda, South Australia, in degrees Fahrenheit. 



* Fractions of a degree are disregarded in maximum and minimum temperatures. 



VEGETATION. 



When viewed from the Central Highlands west of the Murray Flats 

 the landscape has much of the monotony as well as color of the sea. 

 The vegetation is bluish green and extends mile on mile without marked 

 irregular features, except an occasional rectangular homestead, to 

 create diversion either of color or form. Not far below the eastern 

 horizon a faint, lighter line, the precipitous farther bank of the Murray, 

 cuts the view and reveals where the river, submerged beneath the 

 general level of the plain, makes its tortuous course to the sea. Once 

 entered, the woody vegetation of the Murray Flats retains its apparent 

 monotony. On every side the mallees of the scrub lift their rounded 

 shoots to a height of about 3 to 6 meters (plate 32c). Furthermore, 

 there is little apparent difference between unlike species, and there 

 are few woody plants of genera other than Eucalyptus. So far as could 

 be determined from a superficial examination, E. oleosa was the domi- 

 nant species, although E. odorata was found in large numbers also. 

 The latter species occurs both as a mallee and (at the western edge 

 of the mallee scrub proper) as a small tree. Growing in the scrub 

 were numbers of Dodoncea bursarifolia and separated groups of Mela- 

 leuca parvifiora (plate 32A). The individuals of the mallee scrub are 

 frequently so closely placed that the shoots are in contact. The 

 mallees cease to be dominant forms as the river gorge is approached, 

 and other trees, prominent among which are species of Casuarina, 

 are fairly abundant. Individual specimens of mallees, however, 

 may be found to the edge of the gorge. 



The Murray River and its flood-plain are sunk approximately 30 

 meters below the general level of the Murray Flats. When seen (No- 

 vember 11, 1918) the river was still running high and was about 200 

 meters from bank to bank. A narrow flood-plain lay on one or both 

 sides of the stream, and on these there are open forests of large gums, 

 Eucalyptus rostrata, and a few specimens of introduced Salix sp. 

 (plate 32s) . The bases of many of the trees were covered with water 

 and had been so covered for several months. No mallees were seen 

 on the flood-plain. 



