. . The . . 



South Australian Naturalist 



VOL. III. ADELAIDE, AUGUST, 1922. No. 4 



FIELD NATURALISTS' EXHIBITION IN MELBOURNE. 



The Field Naturalists of Melbourne held a very successful 

 show on June 20th. So far as one may gather from press 

 notices, the exhibits covered a wide range, including shells, 

 beetles, fossils, native implements, orchids and other native 

 flowers, ferns, and miscroscopic exhibits. The flowers included 

 a very interesting number (from the Melbourne Botanic Gar- 

 den) of native flowers now under cultivation, and described as 

 at present in transition between wild and (botanically) tame. 

 The improvement in form and colour was stated as being very 

 noticeable. Some experiments in the same direction should be 

 tried in our State and (preferably) by our own members. A 

 popular ballot w^as taken to decide which were the six wild- 

 flowers most suitable for garden cultivation. The ballot re- 

 resulted as follows: — 1, Bendigo wax flower (Eriostemon 

 obovalis) ; 2, AVaratah (Telopea speciosissima) ; equal: pink- 

 flowered yellow gum (Eucalyptus le-ucoxylon, var. rosea), blue 

 bell orchid (Glossodia major), Grampian myrtle (Thrypo- 

 mene MitckeliantJ, pink eyes (Tetratheca ciliata). 



A parcel of flowers was forwarded by the Secretary, which 

 consisted of the following : — The Bundled Ground Berry 

 (Acrotriche fasciculiflora), which is remarkable in that it 

 bears its flowers in a dense mass at the base of the stem at 

 ground level, and the only place in the world in which it 

 grows is our State (S.A.). The Silver Banksia (B. marginata), 

 an autumn and winter flowering shrub. Sprays of the Var- 

 nished Wattle (Acacia verniciflua) in bud, grown by the 

 Secretary from seed obtained from Bridgewater. This plant 

 has a drooping habit and makes a delightful shrub. 



