i 



91 



the colony of N. S. Wales have originated. This tree attained 

 the elevation of six feet, with a circumference of foliage of 

 twenty-six feet, and about the year 1859, it first bore flowers, 

 and died soon after. From the habits of the tree at that time 

 not having been coreectly known, it was considered that the 

 tree died soon after flowering, leaving a numerous progeny of 

 suckers, by which it could be propagated to a great extent, but 

 on subsequent experience with other trees, it was found the 

 death of this plant, immediately after flowering, was an 

 accidental circumstance, as they regularly flower every year. 

 I have already described the foliage as very fine, one of the 

 leaves measured as follows : — 



feet inches. 



Length of stem 2 10 



Diameter of stem 1 



Breadth of leaf from across the third section 3 



Greatest length 2 



Thickness of leaf OJ 



Greatest length to the dichotomal division 9 | 



The under surface of the leaf is white and downy, the upper 

 green, the ribs of each digitation strong, the middle one the 

 strongest. The branching mid-ribs of the leaf are very pro- 

 minent, and the lamina is detached from them, like the 

 swimming webb from the phalanges of water-fowl. 



I will now proceed to give the measurement of four trees 

 growing in the Botanic Gardens at Sydney in April, 1862. 

 The first tree had the main trunk, six feet high, which then 

 divided into two branches, from each of which during the 

 flowering season there issued six spikes of blossoms. The 

 total height of the tree was ten feet, with a circumference of 

 foliage of twenty-four feet, and any person could stand up- 

 right under the broad and long leaves of this tree perfectly 

 sheltered from the sun's rays. This tree was then four years 

 old, and bears flowers regularly every year. The circumference 

 of the trunk at the centre was eight inches. The second tree 

 had the trunk six feet high clear of foliage, and a circum- 

 ference of eight and a half inches,, it then divided into 

 two branches, the total height was eight feet, with a circum- 

 ference of foliage of twenty feet. The third tree had the 

 trunk four and a half feet high, and then like the others 

 divided into two branches, the circumference of the trunk was 

 ten inches, and the total height of the tree was eight and a 

 half feet, with a circumference of foliage of twenty-two feet. 

 The fourth tree was very irregular in growth, the main trunk 

 clear of foliage was four feet nine inches high, with a circum- 



