26 MEDICINAL PLANTS OF QUEENSLAND, 



quantities from most swampy places. The leaves are grass-like, 

 panicle of flowers upright, dense and of a dingy red colour. 



A few of ouv Liliaceous plants seem to have been used medicinally 

 Smilax glycypJiylla, Sm., is the small sarsaparilla, found on our 

 coast, and easily known from the larger species of our scrubs by 

 the underside of its leaves being almost white. By some it is 

 called sweet tea. The infusion is said to be at first sweet, after- 

 wards bitter, and to have tonic and antiscorbutic properties. 



Flagellaria indica, Linn., a tall climber, known at once by the 

 spirally twisted point of its leaf. The leaves are said to be 

 astringent and vulnerary. 



The order Pontederacece, so far as known, is represented by a 

 single plant, Moyiochoria cyanea, F. v. M., which Mr. Bentham 

 considers very near M. vaginalis, Pr. Of this latter, Dr. Lindley 

 says it is emplo^'ed in Indian pharmacy in liver com^^laints, and 

 disorders of the stomach. Eubbed down in butter and di*ank, it 

 is thought to remove redness of the eyes, powdered and mixed 

 with sugar it is administered in asthma ; and when chewed it is 

 said to relieve toothache, brayed with milk it is given in fever, 

 and finally when young is eaten as a pot-herb. If so much virtue 

 is to be found in this East Indian sj^ecies, certainly our Queensland 

 plant should be examined. It will be met with in most of the 

 shallow still waters of tropical Queensland, its root-stock creeping 

 in the mud, leaves few on long stalks, flowers blue, seeds ribbed. 



Cyanotis axillaris, Esem. and Schult. Is one of the Si)iderworts 

 of tropical Australia and India, in the latter place a decoction of 

 the plant is given in cases of tympanis. 



A small rush. Luzula campestris, DC, met with in Southern 

 Queensland. The root has some reputation as a diuretic in Europe 

 and China. 



The root-stocks of several plants of Aroidcod are used by the 

 natives for food after undergoing some preparation. The root- 

 stock of th.e common Bulrush Typha augustifolia, Linn., abounds 



