406 



BOTANY OF THE DARLING, NEW SOUTH WALES. 



By Fked. Turner, F.L.S., F.K.H.S., etc. 



Introductiox. 



The Darling River and its tributaries drain an immense area 

 in New South Wales, and although I have botanised over a 

 great portion of it, this paper only refers to the vegetation found 

 between the parallels 29° to 33° South and the meridians 141" 

 (the boundary of this State and South Australia) and 147° East. 

 The configuration of this region consists for the most part of 

 nearly level country with isolated hills and a few mountain 

 ranges, none of Avhich, however, attain great altitude. This 

 section of the country may be described as consisting of immense, 

 treeless plains separated here and there by large belts of timber, 

 and considerable areas of open forest, mallee, and scrub country. 

 Some of the plains are composed of black soil, others of red loam, 

 and certain are of a sandy nature. These are the principal soils 

 of the Darling country, but there are man}^ of an intermediate 

 character. Some of the hills and ranges are very stony and 

 difficult to ascend. 



Climate. 



Temperature at llourhe. 



Mean temperature ... ... ... GO'T'^ 



Mean summer temperature ... ... 83-6'^ 



Mean winter temperature ... ... 54*7^' 



Highest temperature (shade) ... 127*0^ 



Lowest temperature (shade) ... ... 28-0^' 



In the extreme north-west, at Milparinka for instance, the 

 temperature will range a few degrees higher, but those referred 

 to will give a good idea of the climate of the Darling country. 



