736 BOTANY OF THE SPRINGSURE DISTRICT, 



cultivating. The only other plant of this Order we saw was 

 Secamonc elliptica, a tall milky climher of frequent occurrence in 

 most scrubs. Of Campanulaceae or the Blue-bell family, we only 

 found the ubiquitous blue-flowered Wahlenhergia gracilis, and the 

 more rare Isotoma axillaris with large, purplish, bell-shaped 

 flowers. This pretty little plant is found hanging from cliffs, 

 and always in company with Psilotum triquetrum ; it would be 

 very ornamental for rock-work. The last named plant belongs 

 to the Lycopodiacece or "Club-mosses" and it deserves a place 

 among every collection of plants : it is also found growing on 

 trees in dense mountain scrubs throughout the Colony, as well as 

 in New South Wales. As far as we saw, the Filices or ferns are 

 but poorly represented around Springsure, but evidently a 

 number of them must exist in the deep moist gorges at the head 

 of the creeks, which we had not an opportunity of exploring. We 

 only found Pteris tremula, P. falcata, Adiantum hispidulum and 

 Platycerium ale icorne or "Elk's-horn," ferns that are common 

 throughout the Colony. The Urticeoc or Nettle tribe we only 

 found represented by Ficus platypodia, (which is mostly parasitical) 

 and F. Cumiinghamii, a large deciduous tree common in the humid 

 jungles along the coast; the fruit of neither species is edible. 



Among the Proteacece the graceful Hakea lorea was the most 

 conspicuous, its long, wiry, pendulous leaves hanging in bunches 

 from the ends of the branches, resembling large chandeliers. 

 Persoonia falcata is a remarkable stunted little tree, and it can- 

 not be mistaken once it has been seen. The bark is dark and 

 rough, leaves long and falcate, reminding one of the phyllodia of 

 some Acacias, and the flowers are pale yellow, in long rigid 

 racemes. I am not aware that this species is found east of 

 Cometville, and it was hitherto unknown south of Rockingham 

 Bay. Grcvillea striata with its long strap-like leaves is common 

 in this district, but besides that species we saw but one other, 

 without flowers, resembling G. polystachya, which is found in the 

 neighbourhood of Emerald. Like most places in Australia the 



