[Peoc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 26 (N.S.), Pt. I., 1913]. 



Art. XU.~ContribiLtiovs to the Flora of Australia, No. 21} 

 The Flor.\ of the Northern Territory (Lkguminosae). 



BY 



ALFRED J. EWART, lX8f., Ph.D., 



AND 



ALEXANDER .MORRLSON, M.D. 



(With Plates XIV., XV.). 



[Read 10th July, 1913]. 



As is well known, the Commonwealth Government, since taking 

 •over the Northern Territory, have carried out a policy of energetic- 

 ally investigating the natural resources of this tract of country. 



In addition to the expedition by Gilruth and Spencer, the Barclay 

 •expedition traversed a large part of the Territory, and Mr. Hill, 

 the botanist attached to the party, made large collections of plants. 



Dr. Morrison was appointed to assist in the work of investigating 

 these collections, and the flora of the Territory generally, and the 

 present paper is the first fruits of the work done. It includes the 

 Leguminosae only; the other orders will follow as their examination 

 is completed. 



Mr. Maiden has undertaken the investigation of the Myrtaccae 

 and of the Acacias, in which groups his knowledge is unrivalled. 



The present paper not only gives much additional infonnation as 

 to the distribution of the plants of this oi-dcr in the Territiny. hut 

 also includes desci'iptions of four \w\\ spciik's — Isotropis argcntca, 

 Jacksonia anomala. Psoralea luteosa. and Tcplirosia pubescens. 



Very little is known as yet as to the fcononiir properties of the 

 plants of the Northern Territory, more partimlarly as regards their 

 fodder value or poisonous properties. Dr. Gilruth obtained data 

 during his first visit of the food value of certain grasses which have 

 since been identified and published in the lOtli Contribution to the 

 Flora of Australia. 



The Leguminosae include not only many of the most valual)le 

 fodder plants, but also many poisonous plants. Few of tlie 



1 No. '20 ill Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, vol. \xvi. (n.s.), p. 1., I!H;{. 



