NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 721 



dilated upwards, and the unity continued. [Mr. Birmingham 

 notes this as the first flower formed; the succeeding ones did not 

 exhibit any abnormaHty. The plants were grown in an open, 

 sunny situation, and artificial fertiliser only was used as a 

 stimulant]. The general appearance of the inflorescence points 

 to insect-attack. — Epacris crassifolia R.Br., showing variation 

 in habit and leaf-characters, due to environmental conditions. 

 Bentham (Fl. Aust., iv,, p. 237) mentions two forms of this 

 species; one from Port Jackson, near the sea (with large leaves 

 and flowers), and the other from the Blue Mountains (with 

 small leaves and flowers). Examples of both these forms were 

 exhibited, the mountain-form from Wentworth Falls (W. Forsyth; 

 October, 1897), growing m the crevices of dripping rocks, and 

 the other form (near the sea) from Cowan Bay (A. A. Hamilton; 

 November, 1896). In each case, the character of (comparativel}^) 

 large or small leaves is maintained. Examples were also shown 

 of a form growing on the more Or less dry cliffs at Newnes Junc- 

 tion (November, 1914), and Bell (A. A. Hamilton; January, 

 1915), which have become coarse and twiggy, and are gradually 

 assuming an erect habit; and a fui'ther stage is reached by plants 

 growing in the ground at the base of the cliffs (A. A. Hamilton; 

 Eskbank; January, 1915), which have become upright shrubs of 

 1-1 J feet. The examples from Bell and Eskbank approach forms 

 of E. ohtusifolia Sm., from the Blue Mountains, which have also 

 had their habit and foliage altered by external conditions. E. 

 obtusifolia Sm., is, normally, a swamp-dweller, where it is an 

 erect shrub of 1 foot, to (in the Botany Swamps) 3 feet high; but 

 in this case, one of the examples (A. A, Hamilton; Lawson; Jan- 

 uary, 1915) was growing in the crevices of rocks in a shady 

 railway-cutting; and the other (A. A. Hamilton; Wentworth 

 Falls; January, 1915) on the dry fringe of the swamp. The 

 variations in habit and foliage shown in E. crassifolia are similar 

 to those in E. reclinata A. Cunn., (noted in These Proceedings, 

 1914, p. 453), brought about by similar environmental conditions. 

 — Kennedya ruhicunda Yent., (A. A. Hamilton; Cook's River; 

 November, 1913), showing leaf -variation, The leaflets range 



a 



