"'>'•! Topp, Wild-floxvers of SoiUh-Western Australia. 39 



1017 



numerous queer-looking red and green flowers of the Kangaroo- 

 paws, Anigozanthus: Manglcsii, rising one or two feet above 

 the grasses and sedges. Patches of the pink flower-stalks of 

 tall-growing Candolleas and deep red pea-flowers add variety 

 to the floral scene. 



One of the most striking differences noted between a Victorian 

 heath or grass land and one in the neighbourhood of Bimbury 

 was the predominance of blue, pink, and red flowering plants 

 over the yellows and whites so common in oitr jxirt of Aus- 

 tralia. The blues are contributed by the lovely bright-blue 

 corymbs of Leschenaultia hilolnu the rather darker blue of the 

 flowers of the scarcely less beautiful Scavola striata and of 

 Dampiera linearis (all (ioodeniaceous plants), and b}' the 

 purplish-blue of Platythtxa golioides. a close relative of our 

 Tetratheca. Besides the lovely blue Platytheca I found a 

 white variety ; this is not mentioned in Bentham's " Flora." 

 Leschenaultia is almost confined to Western Australia. It 

 numbers fourteen endemic species, while four only are found 

 in other States. This beautiful genus is more than usually 

 varied in the colouring of its flowers. In some species the 

 flowers are described as red or scarlet ; in others as yellow, white, 

 lilac, or pale green. I saw only the one species — with the 

 l)rilliant blue flowers. 1 was told that it could not be grown 

 in gardens. This, however, is a mistake ; it is now grown near 

 Melbourne, and it was cultivated in England in 1840. SccBvola 

 striata is confined to Western Australia, where it is abimdant, 

 though the genus is widely distributed throughout Australia. 

 Both flowers and foliage are handsome, and it is well worthy of 

 cxiltivation. Dampiera is mainly Western Australian, though 

 there are a few species in all the other States. The Western 

 Australian species are endemic in the State. 



Anigozanthus is a genus exclusively Western Australian, as are 

 four out of the five Austrahan genera of the family (Haemodo- 

 raceaL'). Eight species are given in the " Second Census," and 

 Mr. Maiden states that eleven species are now known. I 

 collected three which were abundant, — A . Manglesii, with red 

 and green perianth; A. viridis, with the perianth entirely 

 green ; A. raja, with the flowers on short-branched stalks, so as 

 to give it the appearance of a head of flowers, coloured creamy 

 ancl slightly pink. I should have mentioned a plant found along 

 with the " Black-boys" — the Fern Palm, Encefhalartus Frascri, 

 whose curicnis, spirally-twistec], pinnate leaves and central yellow 

 cone are pretty frequently seen scattered through the bush. 

 The species is endemic in the West, but the genus is found in 

 all the States but our own. 



Perhaps the next most striking feature in the plant land- 

 scape after the predominance of the blue colouring of the herbs 



