10 Oct., 1918.] Indigenous Fibrous Plants of Victoria. 



60^ 



is a dwarf flat stemmed species seldom more than from 18 inches to 2 

 feet in height. It is abundant in swampy ground near the sea coast, 

 and may prove valuable as a paper plant. 



Schoenns hrevifolius, K. Br., " Short-leaved Bog Rush"; order, 

 Cyperace^; distribution, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, 

 Tasmania, Queensland, and Western Australia. The' Short-leaved Bog 

 Rush is a tufted perennial, very plentiful along the coast, especially the 

 south-eastern portion of the State. It furnishes good paper material and 

 a fibre of considerable strength. 



Carex paniculata, L., "Panicle Sedge"; order, Cyperaces; distri- 

 bution, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queens- 

 land, Tasmania, and Western Australia. The Panicle Sedge is found 

 generally throughout the State in low-lying swampy grounds, and along 

 river and creek courses. It yields a fibre suitable for paper and mill- 

 boards. 



Carex ijseudo-cype.rus, L., " Galingale Sedge"; order, Cyperaceae; 

 distribution, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, 

 Queensland, and Western Australia. This species of sedge is very com- 

 mon throughout Victoria in swampy and moist places, and yields a strong 

 fibre, which is prepared by boiling for twelve hours, and then scraping 

 the leaves. 



. Lomnndra (Xerotes) longifolia, R. Br., "Long Mat Rush"; order, 

 Liliacece; distribution, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, 

 Tasmania, and Queensland. The Long Mat Rush is a perennial plant 

 dispersed throughout the State on dry and moist soils. It furnishes a 

 valuable pulp, which can be utilized both for printing and writing paper. 

 It is, however, scarcely as readily collected as many of the other plants 

 just referred to. 



Stypandra caespitosa, R. Br., "Tufted Blue Lily"; order, 

 Liliacese; distribution, Victoria. New South Wales, Queensland, and 

 Tasmania. The Tufted Blue Lily is a hardy herbaceous perennial found 

 in the eastern and southern parts of the State. It yields a strong fibre, 

 and is readily prepared by a boiling process. 



Typha angustifoJia, L., " Bulrush"; order, Typhaceae; distribution, 

 Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, 

 Northern Australia, Western Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, 

 Polynesia, and New Zealand. The Bulrush is a cosmopolitan aquatic 

 perennial, and is identical with the common, narrow-leaved species of 

 Britain and other parts of the globe. It is very plentiful in Victoria 

 on the banks of streams and fresh water swamps. The pulp of the 

 weighty foliage is easily pressed into good printing, tissue, and writing 

 paper, and a fibre of fair strength can be manufactured from the 

 leaves . 



Xanthorrhij^.a minor, R. Br., "Small Grass Tree"; order, 

 Liliaceae; distribution, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, 

 and Tasmania. The Small Grass Tree is a stemless, liliaceous plant ex- 

 tending on temporarily inundat-ed flats, with heathy sub-soil almost un- 

 interruptedly over many square miles of the Western Port districts, 

 Gippsland, and otlier Victorian localities. There are occasionally lines 

 of many miles extent scarcely interrupted by any other vegetation. 

 The broad rigid tufts app7-jach each other to the exclusion of gradual 

 suffocation of most other plants of the locality. The harsh foliage. 



