i6o AuDAS, A Botanist in the Portland District, [vd"^xx^^'il 



A BOTANIST IX THE PORTLAND DISTRICT. 



By J. W. AuDAS, F.L.S., National Hcrbariuni. .Molbounu-. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, i lih Dec, 1916.) 



Being anxious to see the wikl-flowers of the south-western 

 corner of our garden State, and also to collect a few of the rarer 

 species peculiar to the locality, I left Melbourne on the nth 

 September last by excursion train for Portland. From a 

 botanical point of view there was little to attract my attention 

 till Beaufort was passed. Here a fine display of wild-flowers 

 was to be seen, comprising the Spider ()rchid, Cuhidoiid 

 Patersoni, Snake Orchid. Diuris peduncitlatu. Tall Diuris, I), 

 longifolia. Larger Glossodia, Glossodia major. Erect Ciuinea- 

 flower, Hibhertia stricta, Grey Parrot-Pea, Dillwyyiia cinerascens, 

 Gorse Bitter-Pea, Daviesia ulicina, Ciolden Bush-Pea, Pitltencca 

 stricta, var. Gunnii, and the Scarlet Coral-Pea, Kenncdya 

 prostrata, which latter gracefully decorated the railway 

 embankments with its bright red flowers. 



Just beyond Buangor a fine view of mountain scenery is 

 obtained, the railway passing quite close to Mount Misery, 

 which is one of the peaks of the Pyrenees. After leaving 

 Ararat the railway takes a south-westerly direction, and we 

 were soon passing through the large wheat-})roducing areas of 

 the Western District. Surrounding Maroona 1 noticed large 

 tracts of land covered with the Cotton Fire-weed, Erechtites 

 qiiadrideniata : this is a native weed, but a serious pest, and 

 is proclaimed for the whole of our State. Willaura, further on, 

 gave the impression of a new and j^rogressive country town- 

 ship, a noticeable feature here being the immense stacks of 

 wheat at the railway station. From here, on the right, a 

 splendid view for twenty-five miles can be obtained of the 

 Serra Range, which terminates at Dunkeld. Further south, 

 from Moutajup to Strathkellar, a pleasing feature is the 

 immense shelter belts of trees which have been jilanted and 

 fenced ; many of these are miles in extent. In most cases 

 native timber trees have been planted, the eucalypts chiefly 

 favoured being the Blue Gum, Eucalyptus globulus, and Sugar 

 (xum, E. cladocalyx, though there are a fair number of Acacias 

 and Casuarinas interspersed. Leaving the open j)lain country, 

 a fine forest, known as the Nine-Mile Forest, is jmssed througli, 

 bringing us to Gorae ; its timbers chiefly comj)rise the Messmate, 

 Eucalyptus obliqua. Brown Stringybark, /:". capitellata. Red 

 Stringybark, E. macrorrhyncha. Swamp (ium, /:. paludosa, 

 Manna Gum, E. viminalis. Yellow Box, E. melliodora, and 

 Narrow-leaved Peppermint. E. amygdalinu. From this forest 

 manv of the piles used in the construction of the new Portland 

 pier were procured. On reaching my destination, after a journey 



