240 



of quartz rock and ironstone, the south of a peculiarly 

 composed basaltic stratum, of which the basis is bright 

 pink-coloured, with white spots : it is remarkably hard, and 

 breaks into square blocks, and is used for the foundations of 

 buildings at Brisbane Town, being reckoned exceedingly 

 durable. 



July 2d. — At nine o'clock, crossed the river to examine 

 some dense forests on its southern bank, where I succeeded 

 in collecting four species of Capparis, Carissa ovata^ Exocar- 

 pus latifolia, Dendrobium tetragonum, and another new species. 

 Here the Acrostichum grande * (of Cunningham) forms a 

 most striking feature. On my return to Brisbane Town in 

 the afternoon, I accompanied Capt. Logan to the intended 

 site of the New Garden, where we felled a magnificent tree 

 of Flindersia australis, loaded with ripe fruit. 



July 3d. — Employed this day in laying down the bound- 

 aries of the New Garden, and fixing the situation of a large 

 pond in its centre. 



* This is indeed a most singular plant, which Mr. Fraser farther notices in 

 his letter to me, dated Sydney, 5th Feb. of this present year, 1829. " In a 

 case," he says, " I have sent you a package of specimens of that superb Acrosti- 

 chum, grande of Mr. Cunningham. To admit their fronds between paper of the 

 largest atlas size, I have been obliged to divide them into very many portions 

 or sections. The colour is a bright pea-geeen, that of the seeds a light bi'own. 

 The plant is found parasitic on all descriptions of trees in the forests on the 

 banks of the rivers Brisbane and Hastings, the latter (in lat. 31° 20" South) 

 being its extreme southern range." The nidus, if I may so call it, or the base 

 with the roots of one of these gigantic Acrosticha, was sent also, which in shape 

 resembles a little punt or boat, having a completely convex lower surface, from 

 the numerous ascending scales or old remains of former yeai's' fronds'; and it is in 

 itself quite a curiosity. With regard to the species, it approaches very nearly, 

 if it be not actually the same with the Plati/cerium hiforme of Blume, in his 

 splendid Flora of Java, v. 1. p. 14. t. 18. That author found it growing on 

 stems of Arenga saccharifcra of Labill. in Java, but only once was able to dis- 

 cover a fertile frond, and that at the foot of the mountain Giinung Seribu. 

 Again, it seems to be identical with the Acrostichum fuciforme, Wall, found by 

 Dr. Wallich at Singapore. 



Seeds of it arc sown in the Glasgow Botanic "Garden, and if wt are successful 

 in raising plants from them, it would of all Ferns be the one most worthy of 

 cultivation in our stoves. 



