wen roHK 

 PREFACE. 



This is a chsi riiitice and illustrated Iminlhoul: of the 

 alien plants naturalised in South Australia and propagat- 

 ing themselves si>ontatieously. Such plants form the 

 greater part of our heritage near towns, and. many of them 

 hare found their iray into the far interior. The list also 

 includes several ornamental plants which hare r/onr astray 

 from gardens or hedges, and all the "noxious weeds" ichich 

 have been proclaimed as such hy the Government. The 

 subject is therefore of some importance, and it is hoped 

 that this little book may he usefxd and interesting, not 

 only to students of nature, but to country residents who 

 may desire some botanical knowledge about the introduced 

 plants which grow in their fields. No work of this kind 

 has hifhrrto appeared in South Australia, or, as far as I 

 know, in any part of Australia. The late Professor Tate, 

 in his "Flora of Extra-tropical South Australia'' (1890), 

 dealt with only our native plants. 



Of the SG8 plants licre described, the countries of origin 

 are as follow: — Europe generally (usually including Wes- 

 tern Asia), 12S ; Mediterranean region (European and 

 frequently North African Coasts), 92; most parts of the 

 ^^ globe (cosmopolitan), GO; South Africa, .'t'l; temperate 

 >4 South America, 15; Asia, 10; temperate North America, 

 6; Eastern Australia, 6; Western Australia, 1; 

 Mexico, 3; Abyssinia, 1; Canary Islands, 2. It is notice- 

 able that the plants xchich succeed best in tJie struggle for 

 life are those ivhich come from lands with climates resemb- 

 ling our own, such as the Mediterranean region, South 

 Africa and temperate South America. 



