140 BOTANY OF SOUTH-WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES, 



popularly known as " Wild Parsnip " — are suspected of poisoning 

 stock; whilst the species of Apium and Daiiciis, when partaken 

 of by milch cows, are regarded as giving a " taint " to milk. 



Loranthacece consist of seven species of Loranthus, found on 

 different kinds of trees and shrubs, and these parasitical plants 

 appear to be increasing to the injury of certain kinds of vege- 

 tation.* I have seen trees and shrubs absolutely killed by 

 Loranthus pendiUus, Sieb., one of the most vigorous-growing 

 species of this genus. There is no doubt that the mistletoe bird, 

 Dicceum hirundinaceum^ Shaw, is largely responsible for the 

 spread of these parasites. That bird eats the ripe fruits and 

 voids or otherwise leaves the seeds on the branches of the trees, 

 where they germinate and in due course develop into plants. At 

 one time the Aborigines used to eat the ripe fruit of several species 

 of Loranthus, and thus prevented many of the seeds being dis- 

 seminated by birds and other agencies. Compositce are abundant 

 over the great part of this region, particularly from Mt. Elliott 

 to considerably west of Oxley, and from Hillston to Pooncarie, 

 where much of the plain country, in the early summer months and 

 sometimes in autumn after rainfall, is often literally carpeted w4th 

 many species of this family. When these plants are in bloom 

 the effect is positively bewildering to the eye, and even a brief 

 reference to the different species would occupy more pages of the 

 Society's Proceedings than I should presume to ask for. I might 

 refer, however, to one or two circumstances by way of illustrating 

 the useful character of certain of these plants. On one very 

 large pastoral holding in the Mossgiel district Htlipteruiin jiori- 

 hundum, DC, was the principal feed of the sheep for four years, 

 and the manager informed me that the animals thrived well on 

 this plant. On the Murray the leaves and succulent stems of 

 Senecio magnijicus, F.v.M., are sometimes cooked and eaten as a 

 vegetable. I have eaten the palatable fleshy roots of the "native 

 Scorzonera," Jlicroseris forsteri, Hook. f. Quite a number of 

 exotic Compositre, some of an undesirable character, have become 



* These Proceedings, 1894, p. 557. 



