508 INDIGENOUS PLANTS IN THE COBAR DISTRICT, 



tliis has been caused through the many variations offered by 

 species of the same genera. I find this particularly in the genera 

 CaUitris of the Ct)nifers, Hnhea of the Proteads, Casuarina of the 

 Casuarinesv, and Dodomea of the Sapindacese. I need mention 

 but two cases noted herein, Hakea vittafa, which has the general 

 characteristics of the species, but the fruits of //. Pampliniana; 

 while again, on the same tree of Casuarina Icpidoph/oia, I have 

 found fruits not only of that species, l)ut also large ones approach- 

 ing those of C. Cambayei. It is this kind of occurrence tliat 

 has caused me to hesitate before calling another specimen //. 

 hiicoj^tern. 



The general appearance of the Negetation of this district is 

 that of brush-wood, very few trees rising to any eminence, such 

 as is attained by examples of E nr<il yptus intprtexta, E. popnlifolia^ 

 and two unusually fine specimens of Caxn,arina lepidophloia at 

 Lerida, fully 80 feet liigh, and of which Mr. Oakden — whose care 

 for his trees is scarcely less than that for his sheep — is very justly 

 proud. The main building-timl)er of these parts is CaUitris 

 glauca, Cypress Pint\; but as there are no trees of any suitable 

 dimensions for the larger purposes, most of that requisite has to 

 be imported from "down country," though a limited supply of 

 "Black Pine," CaUitris calcarata, is obtained from Nymagee. 



The temperature of this district varies between somewhat 

 extreme limits, but, noi-mally, may be saifl to range from 60° to 

 110° F., and the hills and ridges, l)eing of no important altitude, 

 do not make any appreciable difference as to temperature. The 

 altitude of Cobar itself is 805 feet above sea-level, and its distance 

 from the coast, easterly, in a straight line is 420 miles. 



A noteworthy feature of this country, from a botanical point 

 of view, is the very poor representation of Monocotyledonous 

 plants, lilies aiul orchids being specially rare; and as for the 

 grasses, the range of species, as compared with the genera, is not 

 wide. I am informed, on good authority, that the mainstay of 

 the stock is in the Stipas (.Spear oi- Cyrkscrew-Grasses), next in 

 the Danthonias, and lastly in the Anthistirias(Kangaroo-Grasses). 

 The Stipas, however, are very trouble.some to the sheep, on 

 account of the long awns. The Acotyledonous plants, also, have 



