56 Ewarf, Rees and Wood : 



authentic specimens of that variety have l)een seen. The " B. 

 Pantoni" of W. R. Giiilfoyle (Yict. Naturalist. Vol. XVII., 

 1900, p. 42) is merely a form of B. sjn'iiosa approaching towards 

 this variety. 



Var. min-()]i]n/ll(i. The leaves vary in shape, but are always 

 small, often less than half a centimetre in length. Most of 

 the shrubby, spiny specimens come under this variety, which 

 mainly occurs in New South Wales, Victoria and South Aus- 

 tralia, although it also extends as far north as Queensland. A 

 •specimen from Stawell (F. M. Reader, 1904) is interesting in 

 having tlie leaves with the tomentum of var. incatia on the 

 under sides, but being otherwise identical with var. mirro- 



Apparently Bursaria spitiosa is a plant which has spread 

 over Australia in comparatively recent times, and is in process 

 of adaptive modification into at least three and possibly more 

 distinct species. Since all the connecting links vstill exist, 

 however, it is not possible to separate these forms into distinct 

 species, and the decision, whether a particular specimen belongs 

 to a variety or the type is often merely a matter of choice. 



Ckntaurea nigra, L. (Compositae). "Knapweed." 



A native of Europe, now growing wild, and sufficiently 

 established to be considered naturalised at Sale, Gippsland, 

 Williamson ; Freeburgh, N.E. Victoria, per Dejjartiment of 

 Agriculture, February, 1910 ; Terang, C. B. Palmer, March, 

 1910. 



It has suddenly appeared at several localities, probably spread 

 with a batch of impure agricultural seed, and is not likely to 

 die out again. Though useless the plant is not prickly or 

 obnoxious in the same way as is the Star Tliistle (('ciitdin-ea 

 cahitrapa.) It is not, however, an alien to Avelcome. 



Chkxopodium rubhum, L. (Chenopo(liaceae). 

 " Red Goosefoot." 



Railway Reserve, N. Melbourne, May, 1900, C French, jnr., 

 and J. R. Tovey. 



