122 Sutton, A Sketch of the Keilor Plains Flora, [^r^ 



Vict. Nat. 

 XXXIII. 



this company, and a rather luxuriant carpet, especially about 

 the roots of the shrubs, is made up of Enchylsena, Rhagodia 

 nutans, Calandrinia calyptrata, and Euphorbia Drummondi. 

 In another rocky situation we have Myoporum viscosum, M. 

 deserti, Dodonaea, Bursaria, Acacia acinacea, H\Tnenanthera, 

 Zygophyllum, and Nicotiana ; and on some muddy flats 

 Mtiehlenbeckia Cunninghami occupies the ground exclusively. 



In addition to the plants already mentioned. Clematis micro- 

 phylla (obviously preferring rocky places and making its tangle 

 on any handy shrub), Goodenia ovata, Sambucus, Myrsine, and 

 Rhagodia Gaudichaudiana are not uncommon. 



Water plants are remarkable for their wide geographical 

 distribution, so easily effected by the agency of birds, and in 

 the canyons and water-courses of the basalt representatives of 

 most kinds can be studied. In still water or in the stagnant 

 pools of smaller creeks examples of the free-floating aquatic 

 plants (Pleuston) are seen in Lemna, Wolflia, and Azolla. The 

 fixed forms (Benthos), rooted in loose soil or gravel under fresh 

 water [LimmBa- formation), are not far to seek. Some of these 

 may be completely submerged, like Ranunculus aquatilis and 

 Vallisneria spiralis ; but the majority have floating leaves, 

 and mostly blossom above the surface, as in the Potamogetons, 

 Triglochin procera, T. striata, Ottelia ovalifolia, Myriophyllums, 

 Callitriche, and often the Limnanthemums. 



A still larger group are the marsh plants (helophytes), mostly 

 amphibious, and capable, by their plasticity, of adapting them- 

 selves to very wet or to comparatively dry situations. They 

 occupy the shallows at the edges of the water, haxdng only 

 a portion of their stems submerged, or are rooted in mud. 

 Arundo, Typha, Scirpus lacustris, Heleocharis, some of the 

 Polygonums, Lythrum salicaria, and Alternanthera nodiflora 

 are among those which may be placed in one category, while 

 the Gratiolas, Mimulus repens, Utricularia dichotoma, TillcBa 

 recurva. Ranunculus rivularis, Limosella aquatica, Cotula 

 corono pi folia, Alisma, Damasonium, Epilobium, Isotoma, and 

 Scirpus inundatns can be referred to the other. Towards the 

 mouths of the streams, or in salt swamps, Ruppia maritima, 

 Potamogeton peotinatus, and Lepilcena Preissii, which would be 

 placed in W\rminej's Enhalid-formation, have been noted sub- 

 merged in the brackish water. 



In the canyons ferns are only comparatively frequent. The 

 Adiantum, Asplenium, and Grammitis are most easily found, 

 the others being decidedly rare. Seeing its indifference to 

 conditions, growing as it does in extremely dry and quite moist 

 situation ., one wonders why the latter is so impossible of 

 cultivation. 



