354 DR. LEICHARDT'S OVERLAND JOURNEY 
by its branches of crimson-coloured flowers. Two species of 
Terminalia, either shaded the creeks or grew on the rocky 
slopes. Lower down the river, a species of Stravadium, 
with loose drooping racemes of red blossoms fringed the 
shallow swampy lagoons ; and on the banks of the Mitchell, 
in latitude 15° 51/ a species of Corypha grew to a large size, 
and in great numbers. A yellow Villarsia shared with the 
Nymphea the ponds, and several yellow Jpomæas twined 
round the trees at the very edge of the water. Various 
species of Melaleuca took the place of the Eucalyptus, which 
disappeared, with the exception of the box, as we approached 
the coast. One species of Pandanus, was growing on a light 
sandy soil in the open bloodwood forest, and formed broad 
belts at the outside of the forest land along the levels of the 
Alligator Rivers; another species crowded round the run- 
ning creeks in an almost impassable jungle on the west side 12m 
of the gulf. The nonda-tree, which belongs in all probability 
to the order Rhamnacee, was a fine shady spreading wem 
laden with yellow plums, between the Lynd and Van Diemen — 
Gulf. The raspberry jam tree covered the slopes of the salt 
water rivers and the valleys of those creeks which intersected 
the plains at the head of the gulf. The stringy-bark tree Te- — 
appeared on the sandy flats of the Upper Lynd; but on the 
west coast of the gulf it formed the principal part aba 
scrubby forest. Over Arnheim Land and the north-west — 
coast towards Port Essington, the orange-blossomed Fem 
lyptus, a leguminous tree with a dark fissured bark, and à 
species of Livistona had an equal share in the composition 
the forest. Inga moniliformis DC. was first seen at a tribu- 
~ tary creek of the Mitchell: but was afterwards with a broad- 
_ leaved species of Terminalia, a white gum tree, and the man- 
grove myrtle (Stravadium) a constant companion of "^ 
aterholes. A species of Bossiea (Acacia bossimoides, A- 
Cunn ?) with flat stem, composed principally the scrub of she 
west coast of the gulf, and it was here that we observ 
Grevillea pungens with thyrsi of scarlet flowers. A noble 
| species of Cycas which frequently attained the height of 
