20 



is much more common in the latter. During the summer months, 

 in an ordinary season, it yields a great bulk of sweet nutritious 

 herbage, much relished by all herbivora which fatten on it. Four 

 other species of the genus Pollinia occur in the tropical parts of 

 Australia, but none of them is so valuable a pasture grass as the 

 one referred to. 



Wallaby. — No other grass in Australia grows under more varied 

 conditions of soil and climate than " wallaby grass " (Dan- 

 thonia semiannidaris). It is plentiful on some of the high 

 mountain ranges where snow falls occasionally, and common both 

 in the coastal areas and in the interior. In the coldest districts it 

 grows only six inches high, but under more favourable climatic 

 conditions it attains a height of three feet or more. Although the 

 u wallaby grass " is not particular as to soil and situation, for it 

 may as frequently be seen growing on dry ridges as on the better 

 classes of soils, still it produces a larger quantity of superior 

 herbage on moderately strong, rich, deep land. It is one of the 

 most valuable Australian grasses, and, unlike most of its congeners, 



ows more or less all the year round. All kinds of stock are 

 remarkably fond of it, sheep particularly so, and thrive on its 

 rich, succulent herbage. There are eleven species and several 

 varieties of the genus Danthonia indigenous in Australia most of 

 them widely distributed, and all are excellent forage grasses. The 

 tallest and most remarkable species is Z). robusta popularly called 

 44 ribbon grass," which occurs on the southern mountains, where it 

 forms large tussocks of coarse but nutritious herbage. It usually 

 grows from four to five feet high, but occasionally it is taller and 

 affords shelter for such slender grasses as many species of the 

 genera Agrostis and Deyeuxia, and other sub-alpine flora. 



5 



The grasses mentioned are only a small percentage of the 

 valuable ones indigenous to Australia, but the brief descriptions 

 will suffice to illustrate the great economic value of an important 

 part of the pastoral herbage of this large southern continent. 



Fred. Turner. 



V -THE PRICKLY-FRUITED SPECIES OF 



EUONYMUS. 



. « 



T. A. Sprague. 



i 



About 100 species of Euonymus are known, and of these 

 twelve possess prickly fruits. The latter, however, do not appear 

 to constitute a very natural group, though, for convenience, they 

 may be treated together. Two species have pentamerous flowers 

 and are natives of North America, whilst the remaining ten, 

 which have tetramerous flowers, inhabit eastern and southern 



Asia. 



might nerhans be 



regarded as forming a natural group if certain others with scaly 

 fruit, such as E. vagans, Wall., are included ; but phylogenetic 

 speculation seems premature at the present time. As characters 

 for classification, the length of the petioles, the shape and 

 venation of the leaves, and the prickles of the fruit have been 

 found useful. The practical value of the flowers as a guide to 



