6 Dansk Botanisk Arkiv, Bd. 2. Nr. 8. 



Whim Creek, not far from Onslow. It is evident that such an 

 instability as regards the rainfall makes it impossible for most 

 plants to exist, and the vegetation must be very poor, only con- 

 sisting of expressed xerophytes which can endure both drought 

 and high temperature. It is therefore no wonder that this country 

 is a desert, the only green places being the mangroves along 

 the coast. 



Much better conditions rule in the Kimberley district, although 

 the rainfall there is not nearly sufficient for a tropical country. 

 The main rain period is in summer (December-March), and very 



little rain falls du- 



J. F. M. A. M. J. J. A. S. 0. N D 

 F. 90' 



70 



\ I 



\ I 



\ ' 



j t- 



\ i 



~±±z----t 



ring the rest of the 

 year. The diagram 

 (Fig. 2) for Broome 

 of rainfall and tem- 

 perature shows that 

 both curves follow 

 each other in the 

 main. The rain 

 makes the existence 

 of a richer vegeta- 

 tion possible, while 

 on the other hand, 

 the exceedingly dry 

 winters, with their 

 comparatively high 

 temperature, re- 

 strict the luxuriance of the vegetation, the result being — in the 

 best places — a savannah forest, in less favourable places a sa- 

 vannah or steppe or even a desert. 



I have premised these general remarks to make my few notes 

 on the vegetation better understood. They concern only the vege- 

 tation of the coastal region, as my short visits at the different 

 ports did not allow me time to travel farther in. The vegetation 

 formations observed by me are the following: 



- 6" 



4" 



V 



2" 



-10 



Fig. 2. Diagram, showing mean monthly tempera- 

 ture (the thick line) in degrees of Fahrenheit and 

 mean monthly rainfall (the dotted line) in inches, at 

 Broome. 



1. The mangrove formation. 



2. The sandy sea-shore formation. 



3. The salt pan formation. 



4. The sand dune formation. 



5. The savannah forest. 



