Vol. XXVIII. 



IQII 



] SuTTOX, Noles on the Sandringham Flora. 



Rather, it would appear to have much closer affinities to the 

 maqtd (sclerophyllous scrub-land) of parts of the Medi- 

 terranean coast (I to 3 metres), and particularly to the maqui 

 of South Africa, this, according to the authority above- 

 mentioned, representing ' a transition from the low, dwarf, 

 shrub heath of the north to the xerophytic bush-land of the 

 tropics.' 



The Sandringham maqui, then, consists of a dominant 

 xerophytic vegetation of clull greyish, evergreen, woody plants, 

 close set, of an average height of little more than a metre, and 

 contains a rich admixture of species (' compound ' formation), 

 the frequent occurrence of several Epacrids being a marked 

 feature. The leaves are such as are found in plants growing 

 under conditions where excessive transpiration is to be guarded 

 against. Many of the plants are aphyllous, or nearly so — 

 Cassythas, Amperea, Casuarinas, Exocarpus, Sphserolobium, 

 Viminaria. With few exceptions, the leaves are small, thick, 

 simple, entire, very frequently linear, and often with rolled 

 edges, as in Ricinocarpus, Pultencea paleacea, Dillwynias. 

 Sclerophylly is more particularly seen in Hakeas, Epacrids, 

 Daviesia iilicina, Platylohmm oblusanguluin— ail of which, in 

 addition to many others, are armed with pungent points. 

 Filling the gaps between the taller hard plants is a subordinate 

 lower stratum of softer herbs (in which segmented leaves are 

 frequent), grasses, and tuberous plants. 



The vegetation of the main portion of the area having thus 

 been briefly sketched, its individual species will be referred to 

 later. 



In considering the Sandringham plants with some detail, they 

 may be naturally divided into four zones. The first is sub- 

 marine, covering the ground below low water mark, and, apart 

 from the algae and lower vegetable forms (plankton and 

 benthos formations), possibly includes among spermophytes the 

 Sea-tassel, Ruppia ; Grass-wrack, Zostera ; and Sea-nymph, 

 Cymodocea (enhalid formation). It need not be further con- 

 sidered here. 



The second zone, occurring between low water mark and the 

 cliff base, is subject to periodical or intermittent inundation, 

 and mostly comprises species of very wide, even world-wide, 

 distribution, with representatives of families well known ^o be 

 partial to saline situations or capable of growing in these as 

 well as in other places (halophyte formation). These plants 

 present certain peculiarities, such as reduction of surface, 

 succulence, lignification, and a prostrate habit, among others, 

 which have been found protective against excessive transpira- 

 tion, and are probably required, according to Schimper, owing 

 to the difficulty the plants find in absorbing water containing 



