1 66 AuDAs, A Botanist in the Portland District. [voi!xxxi*ii 



Billardieri, var. parviflora, Brachycome scapigera, Leucopogon 

 cyicioides, L. glacialis (peculiar to the south-west), Siackhousia 

 fiava, Melaleuca squamea, Stypandra ccespitosa, Bossicva 

 prostrata, and Dianella revoluta — a beautiful liliaceous plant 

 with dark blue flowers and yellow stamens — ^made a gay scene. 

 Proceeding through the scrub, my attention was arrested by 

 wheit seemed at first glance to be a very handsome pine, but on 

 closer examination it proved to be a leguminous shrub, 

 Psoralcsa pinnala — an introduction from South Africa. It is 

 known locally as " Basby's pest." A gentleman named Basby 

 is said to have introduced it to the district, and it has now 

 become a troublesome plant and is spreading rapidly. Finns 

 miiricata, introduced from California, is also spreading and 

 occupying large patches of scrub-land. Terrestrial orchids were 

 rather plentiful. I came upon large quantities of Caladenia 

 Menziesii, C. carnea, C. latifolia, C. congesta, C. deformis, and 

 C. Pater so ni ; the latter is a variable species, and no less than 

 six well-marked varieties in colour and form were seen. 

 Lyperanthiis nigricans, one of our finest native orchids, with 

 its large reddish-brown and whitish-striped flowers, was 

 blooming. A peculiarity of this orchid is that a plant with 

 a very large basal leaf seldom or rarely flowers. In shelter of 

 small trees and shrubs, Caleana major, Cyriostylis reniformis, 

 Calochiliis Rohertsoni, Pterostylis curia, P. nutans, P. nana,- 

 P. conciuna, and P. longifolia were met with, the labellum or 

 hp of the latter being so sensitive that on the slightest touch 

 it instantly closes. Here, in sandy soil, a host of interesting 

 plants were seen, with their colours charmingly blended and 

 vying with each other in beauty. The handsome Euphrasia 

 collina, with beautiful purple blooms, Hibhertia densiflora and 

 H. stricta. with large yellow blossoms, the blue flowers of 

 Patersonia glauca and ChamcBscilla corymbosa, the white-flowered 

 Hclichrvsitm Baxteri, and the sensitive Stylidium graminifolium, 

 with tall spikes of pinkish flowers (attaining a height of twelve 

 to eighteen inches), were the most conspicuous ; while the 

 runner Kennedya prostrata, which glories in the sunlight, carpeted 

 the open heath ground with a blaze of brilliant scarlet. 



Following the coast to the south and west of Portland, 

 numerous little coves with secluded stretches of sand, greatly 

 availed of by picnic parties, are passed. Here, in open 

 situations, Oxalis corniculata covered many square yards of 

 rock surface, and Bulbine semibarbata, the Smaller Yellow Lily, 

 usually of rather spindly growth, developed into the propor- 

 tion and appearance of a robust leek. Fine specimens were 

 found far out on the exposed rocks, in company with Mesembry- 

 anthemiim anstrale. Rounded Pig-face, which had also acquired 

 an increased fleshy growth from the salt spray. Passing 



