685 



NOTES ON THE NATIVE FLORA OF NEW SOUTH 

 WALES. 



By R. H. Cambage 



Part i. — The Tumbarumba and Tumut Districts. 



These notes were taken in March, 1903, when the effects of the 

 drought were to be seen on every side, consequently only the 

 conspicuous members of the flora were noticed. 



Perhaps the chief feature brought out in this paper is the 

 regulating influence which elevation exercises over the vegetation. 

 Starting from Wagga Wagga, at an altitude of about 600 feet 

 above sea-level, an ascent is made through Tumbarumba to 

 Laurel Hill, where the height is about 3,300 feet. During this 

 ascent, the flora changes absolutely, scarcely a plant being found 

 at the latter place, which is also common to the low land. After 

 travelling northerly for about 25 miles from Tumbarumba, a 

 descent is made to Tumut (900 feet), which is reached at about 

 40 miles, and in this descent, and also that continued to Gundagai 

 (750 feet), a return is made to the same warm-country flora as 

 that of similar levels to the south-west. 



Probably the tree which most definitely marks the dividing 

 line between the warmer- and colder-country floras is the White 

 Box, Eucalyptus heniiphloia var. alhens^ Miq., the upper margin 

 of its habitat, when met with in a descent from the mountains, 

 being an undoubted sign of an approaching warmer temperature, 

 and in a given latitude the presence or absence of this tree on 

 the western slopes at once supplies the observer with an approxi- 

 mate idea of the elevation. In following this species northerly a 

 splendid example is seen of the warmer effects of northern lati- 

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