Bd.2 • DANSK BOTANISK ARKIV • Nr. 6 



UDGIVET AF DANSK BOTANISK FORENING 



== 1916 = 



Contributions to West Australian Botany. 



By 



C. H. Ostenfeld. 

 Part I. 



(Introduction. — The Sea-grasses of West Australia, 

 bv C. H. Ostenfeld). 



Introduction. 



In June 1914 I visited Australia in response to an invitation 

 from "the British Association for the Advancement of Science" 

 to take part in the annual meeting to be held in the capitals of 

 the different States of the Commonwealth of Australia. An accident 

 during the voyage prevented me from fulfilling my original purpose. 

 I was laid up in Perth, West Australia, during the period of the 

 meeting, and it was not until later that I was able to utilise my 

 sojourn in a country which from a botanical point of view is 

 amongst the most interesting. 



The Government of West Australia many years ago had the 

 foresight to secure a forest area of about 1000 acres on Mount 

 Eliza just outside the capital overlooking Perth Waters, and to 

 make it into a nature reserve under the name of Kings Park. 

 Except a small portion close to the main entrance where the 

 ground has been changed into an artificial park with foreign plants, 

 the whole area is left practically untouched though it is inter- 

 sected by several drives and footpaths. The natural vegetation 

 remains, especially the shrubs and herbaceous plants, and there 

 is still a considerable number of forest trees 1 , mostly Jarrah 

 (Eucalyptus marginata) and Red Gum (E. calophylla). The park is 

 under the control of a board which wisely has prohibited any 



1 The best timber trees were removed before the park was reserved. 



Dansk Botanisk Arkiv, Bd. 2. Nr. 6. 1 



