BY FRED. TURNER. 409 



Towards the end of the comparatively mild winters experienced 

 in the far west the bright flowers of many Cruciferous plants are 

 a conspicuous feature on many of the plains. Several species, 

 such as Cardamine tenuifolia, Hook., Blentiodia cardaminoides, 

 F.V.M., Thlaspi cochlearinum, F.v.M., and T. ochranthum^ F.v.M., 

 have comparatively large flowers and are certainly worth 

 garden culture. One of the most beautiful evergreen trees 

 is the so-called "native orange," Capparis niitchelli, Lindl. 

 I have seen this tree producing its curious showy flowers in 

 the driest seasons, and then it never fails to attract the 

 attention of the most unobservant person. This species and 

 one of the dwarfer-growing capers, Capjmris lasiantha, Pt.Br., 

 produce edible fruits of pleasant taste and much appreciated 

 by the blacks. Pittosporum phillyrceoides, DC, is a very 

 graceful tree with pendulous branches, narrow, evergreen, long 

 leaves and small, bell-shaped flowers which are usually produced 

 in great profusion. I have grown and flowered it to per- 

 fection in the neighbourhood of Sydney. In dry situations 

 in the coastal districts it succeeds admirably and is well 

 worth planting in mixed shrubberies. Jlalvaceoits plants are 

 fairly well distributed, some species producing showy flowers of 

 various colours. One of the most beautiful flowering plants of 

 this family is the "native cotton," Gossyphim stitrtii, F.v.M., 

 which I have seen successfully cultivated in a garden at Bourke. 

 Amongst the ornamental, and from a pastoralist's point of view 

 the most valuable, trees in the interior is Stercidla diversifolia, 

 G. Don. Its leaves are readily eaten by stock, which thrive on 

 them. The seeds, usually produced in great abundance, contain 

 l'(S per cent, of caffeine, and I have made a capital beverage after 

 roasting, grinding and macerating the grounds in a similar way 

 to cofl'ee. Nitraria schoheri, Linn., of the "bean caper" family, 

 is a most interesting shrub with rigid branches, succulent leaves, 

 and somewhat oval-shaped fruits which are edible but have a 

 peculiar flavour to those not accustomed to eat them. They are, 

 however, esteemed by the aborigines. Included under Rutacecb 

 is the interesting flowering shrub Eriostemon difforinis, A. Cunn., 



