NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 885 



the figure in J. E. Brown's 'Forest Flora of South Australia.' 

 There are specimens in the National Herbarium, Sydney, collected 

 by Mr. E. Betche from near Como, in a natural state, which also 

 agree with the specimens exhibited, as well as specimens labelled 

 C. coccineus, F.v.M.. collected by AJr. Gill at Port Lincoln S.A. 

 which are almost identical with the specimens exhibited. 



Mr. Fred. Turner exhibited and oiFered some observations upon 



the following plants collected at Minembah, Upper Hunter : 



(1) "Umbrella-'' or " Spider"-grass, Chloris acicularis, LindL, a 

 plant he had not hitherto found growing on the eastern side of 

 the Dividing Range, but which he had collected in many parts of 

 the interior of Australia. It does not differ materially from the 

 typical inland form, and, judging from the way stock eat it, it 

 would appear to be equally valuable as a pasture grass in the 

 Upper Hunter as in the far western country. It is figured and 

 described in Turner's "Australian Grasses." (2) Diseased 

 inflorescence of the introduced " Prairie Grass," Ceratochloa 

 tcnioloides, DC, not hitherto observed in that condition by him. 

 And (3) a white-flowering variety of the Australian "blue-bell," 

 Wahlenbergia yracilis, DC., which was collected by Master 

 Brown, who informed the exhibitor that he had seen only one 

 other plant of its kind bearing white flowers in the district; the 

 typical form of the Australian " blue-bell " is growing abundantly 

 at Minembah. 



Mr. H. G. Smith exhibited portion of a section of the trunk 

 of Orites excelsa, R.Br., a Silky Oak, from Queensland, showinc' 

 a cavity coated with a bulky deposit of aluminium succinate. The 

 occurrence even of traces of aluminium is rare in Phaneroo-ams- 

 but in this remarkable plant that element seems to be necessar\^ 

 for the growth of the tree, as large quantities of alumina are 

 yielded by the ash. Occasionally, as in the specimen exhibited, 

 the amount taken up is abnormal, and then the excess is deposited 

 in cavities as a basic aluminium succinate. 



Mr. Jensen showed photographs, rock specimens, and rock 

 sections under the microscope, in illustration of his paper. 



