10 A GLANCE AT THE FLORA OF MOUNT WILSON, 



" from the permanency of its shade and the general humidity of 

 the atmosphere on its elevated summit, rendered the peculiar 

 character of its vegetation most interesting to him." After the 

 lapse of more than half a century, little can be added to the 

 account which Cunningham has furnished of the germination of 

 Quintinia Sieberi (A. DC.) on the caudices of Dicksonia antarctica, 

 of the eccentric climbing rooted-stemmed plant Fieldia australis 

 (A. Cunn.), and the stupendous size and marvelloi;s contortions of 

 the large climbei's ; but, in the progress of science, especially 

 through the labours of Baron F. \on Mueller, the Eucalypts to 

 which he refers have been duly classified, whilst many of the plants, 

 which he knew but imperfectly, have been reduced to their proper 

 places in the systematic arrangement. 



The highest trees on Mount Wilson are probably the Stringy 

 Barks (E. onacrorhyncha, F. v. M.), some of which are pro- 

 bably 150 feet high, with a circumference of 22 feet at the 

 lower part of the butt. This species, though allied to the other 

 Stringy Barks [E. eugenioides, Sieb. and E capitella, Sm.), is 

 certainly distinct in the shape of its fruit, the quality of its 

 wood, and its peculiar habit, i-ising as it does to a great height 

 without sending forth a branch. Next in point of size are the 

 " Messmate," and the Mountain form of the " Manna Gum" {E. 

 amygdalina, Labill. and E. viminalis, Labill.). These trees have 

 some points of resemblance, for the young trees have opposite 

 sessile leaves ; and as the Messmate is not uniformly half-barked, 

 they may be mistaken one for the other without careful observa- 

 tion. The Messmate, however, differs in the ovate shape of the 

 anthers, the divergent venation of the leaves, the crowded 

 umbels of the flowers, and the usually inserted valves of the 

 fruit. In the Manna Gum. the umbels have only three flowers, 

 and the valves of the fruit are exserted or protrude. The wood 

 of the Stringy Bark and of these Eucalypts is not esteemed either 

 for practical purposes or for firewood. In the deeply shaded 

 forests, Ceratopetidum ajyetalwni (Don), or as it is sometimes called 

 " Gigantic Chi'istmas Bush," grows much larger than it does near 

 Sydney, and under the name of " Coach wood " or " Lightwood," 



