MALLOW. 81 
crenatum (Fig. XXXV.).—We possess several species of this 
genus in Victoria, one of them not uncommon on coast-cliffs, the 
rest is confined to the desert-tracts. All our Zygophyllums are 
yellow-flowered. 
Nitraria Schoberi (Fig. XX XVI.).—Our Nitraria is supposed 
to be identical with one occurring in the saline desert-tracts of 
South Europe and some parts of Asia and Africa. The yellow 
or purple fruits, though of a somewhat salty taste, are a favorite 
food of the original nomadic natives of Australia. An allied 
Nitraria represents at least in part the Lotus-bush of the 
ancients, so far as Arabia is concerned, where it is called 
Damouch, and famed for its small plumlike fruits. 
XITI.—THE MALLOW 
AND ALLIED PLANTS. 
No genuine Mallow is a native of Australia, but several species 
of Malva have become naturalized, among which the British 
annual Dwarf Mallow (Malva rotundifolia) has found its way 
widest through our colony. The nearest of our indigenous plants 
to the real Mallows is the Lavatera plebeja or native Marsh- 
Mallow. As far as the genus is concerned it differs merely from 
Malva in the involucre of each flower, which is not cleft quite to 
the base ; moreover the axis, around which the fruitlets are 
arranged, exceeds them in length. From the genus of plants, to 
which the British Marsh Mallow belongs, namely Althea, ours is 
easily distinguished again by the involucre, generally cleft into 
lesser lobes, also by the protruding fruit-axis. The leaves of our 
plant can be used for emollient poultices, just like those of the 
English Marsh-Mallow, and also the roots of ours form a fair 
substitute for the officinal Althza-root. Chinese Hollyhock 
(Althzea rosea) so frequent in gardens, so brilliant for its varied 
dazzling floral colors and so remarkable for the quickness of its 
F 
