816 PLANTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 



Of the other plants of this section Vallisneria spiralis and Alpinia 

 caralea are interesting, the former of which is curious in its mode 

 of fertilisation, and the latter belongs to a genus kno^ n for 

 medicinal properties. The Iris family is represented for the 

 most part by Patcrsonia and Lihertia the one exclusively Australian 

 and the other extending to New Zealand and extra-tropical 

 South America. SisyrincMum micranthum has come from South 

 America to this colony and is spreading in all directions. 



Amongst the Amaryllidea> of New South Wales, the most 

 remarkable is the Gigantic Lily (Doryanthes excelsaj, which soon 

 attracted the notice of the early colonists and was elegantly 

 figured by Bauer in the beginning of the present century. It 

 has only a limited range, but B. Palmeri which was discovered 

 by Mr. W. Hill, extends far into Queensland, being found on the 

 Mackenzie Eiver and elsewhere. The late Sir Thomas Mitchell 

 was one of the first to record the beauties of our Calo&temma. Of 

 C. candidum (Lindl.), which he found on the Gwydir, he says, 

 " I found there a flowery desert, the richest part of the adjacent 

 country being cpiite covered with a fragrant white amaryllis in 

 full bloom." Again on the Goulburn range he met with the 

 pink coloured species C. carneum (Lindl.). This genus is endemic 

 in Australia, and, as the name implies, is distinguished for the 

 corona of the flower. The remaining order, that of Dioscoridesc 

 is a small one, of which only one genus occurs in Australia. The 

 large "Yam" (Dioscorea saliva J, which is common to many 

 tropical and subtropical countries in the new and old world, is 

 indigenous in Northern Australia and the Northern parts of 

 Queensland, but the species with which we are more immediately 

 concerned is D. transversa, which has a wide range, being found 

 here and there from the neighbourhood of Newcastle to Rocking- 

 ham Bay. According to the testimony of the late M. Thozet, 

 the tubers of this species are eaten by the aboriginal natives 

 under the name of Kowar, and that too without any preparation, 

 which is remarkable, as many of tho genus in consequence 



