Nov. 2, 1908.] AgriciUtural Gazette of N.S.W. 925 



In the National Herbarium, Sydney, we have it from — 



South Atistralia. — Charlotte Waters (though not Giles); Oakden Hills 

 Station, 100 miles north of Port Augusta (W. Gill); Lake Eyre (W. Bald- 

 win Spencer), "Gnurinurn." "The blacks do not eat seeds." This is, of 

 course, contrary to what obtains in Queensland, according to Roth. 



Queensland. — Jericho, 300 miles west of Rockhampton (R. Simmons) ; 

 Boulia (F. M. Bailey). A very common inland grass (F. M. Bailey). 



New South Wales. — Brewarrina (J. L. Boorman) ; Wonnaminta, Wil- 

 cannia (Mrs. Kennedy). 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 

 \. Entire plant, half size. 



2. Braoch of the panicle, greatly enlarged. 



3. Ultimate branch of the panicle. 



4. Single spikelet, opened out, showing the glumes, the palea divided into two, 



and the seed enclosed in the loose pericarp. 



5. Ghimes and seed of the single spikelet. 



a. Outer glume. 

 h. Second glume. 



c. Flowering glume. 



d. Palea divided into two fi'om the base, 

 ft. Pericarp, seed taken out. 



/. Grain, without the pericarp. 



A New Suspected Poison Plant. 



The following letter has been received : — 



" Wingecarribbee, Bowral, 5th September, 1908. 

 " The Director of Agriculture, 



"I have the honor to forward to you, by this post, a sample of a lily 

 or weed growing wild here, which some pigs were seen to be rooting up and 

 eating the roots. 



" Several valuable pigs and some suckers that were just beginning to pick 

 about died. One sow got very ill, and, after lingering for a week, recovered. 

 TJie Inspector of Stock says that it is no disease the pigs had, but that they 

 had apparently been poisoned, and suggests that I forward you a sample of 

 weed. I shall be glad to know if anything of a poisonous nature is in the 

 weed. It has a blue flower. 



"H. M. OXLEY." 



The root specimens are, in my opinion, DianeUa, but I cannot determine 

 the species with certainty without flowers or fruits. DianeUa is an exceed- 

 ingly common Australian plant belonging to the lily family. It has strap- 

 shaped leaves and blue flowers. 



Nothing is known about the properties of the Australian species of DianeUa, 

 except that some have been occasionally used as fibre-plants. Certainly I 

 have never heard of them as suspected poison plants before. 



On inquiry I find that Dragendorff mentions DianeUa nemorosa, L., and 

 D. ensijolia, Ait., as medicinal plants, and says the roots are used in cases of 



