64 Kelly, Plant Distribution in the Healesville District. [voi?xxxi 



The Chum Creek flora is different in many respects from the 

 rest of the area. The banks bear different jihints from those 

 on streams running from east to west. Of these, the most 

 noteworthy are Pomaderris pntnifolia and P. vaccinifolia, whilst 

 it has also /-*. apetala, wliich is common to all the streams. P. 

 subrepanda occurs on the Yarra near the confluence of that 

 river with the Watts. Several of the orchids found along this 

 road are rare or unknown in other parts, particularly the long- 

 leaved Duck Orchid, Cryptostylis longifolia. 



The arboretum is elfin, and the carpet is in places lycopo- 

 dinous. It is worthy of separate investigation and description. 

 At the time of writing large fires are destroying the flora, and 

 there is every reason to suppose that in the near future it 

 will be almost entirely destroyed. Some plants have already 

 been burnt and dug out altogether, the most to be regretted 

 being Clematis aristata, var. Denisii, of the adjacent Long 

 Gully. 



Lianes. — CUmbing up the trunks and massing on the lower 

 limbs of the higher trees, and sometimes covering those of the 

 lesser ones, the mountain streams produce Teconia attsiralis, 

 beautiful both in foliage and flower. Of more extended range, 

 and more delicate of habit, is Clematis aristata, to a less extent 

 a moisture lover, whilst frequently on river banks and moist 

 places, from the lowest flats to the highest gullies, Lyonsia 

 straminea is seen, the older plants having, for a height of 

 20 feet or more, scarcely a leaf, whilst the foliage forms a nest- 

 like top amongst the boughs of its supporting tree. The 

 flowers of the Lyonsia are somewhat insignificant, the remark- 

 able feature of the plant being the long pod-like fruits which, 

 when ripe, open and expose their white papjms-covered seeds. 

 The tangle further consists of several Cassythas and the grass 

 Ehrharta juncea, Hardenhergia monophylla. Glycine clandestina, 

 and the Love Creeper, Comesperma volnbile. 



Another form of association is that which might be termed 

 after-fire societies. These are composed of thickets which 

 spring up after bush-fires, and are composed of quite different 

 units, which undoubtedly obtain their position from o}-)]wr- 

 tunity. It is difficult at first to reconcile the facts that the 

 same actuating cause results in one place in a thick growth of 

 Cassinia, which springs from light and flimsy seed such as fire 

 would easily destroy, and in another a thicket of acacia, whose 

 seeds may have long lain in the ground awaiting fierce heat 

 to scarify their tough integuments. In both cases fire is a 

 distributing and collecting agent ; but in the case of Cassinia 

 it is a destructive agent also. The interesting feature is that, 

 whereas the action of fire destroys seed and roots of many 

 grasses, and by the annihilation of humus prevents their 



