13 



of the known flora of the colony. Naturally, when considering 

 the subject matter of a presidential address, my sympathies 

 pointed in the direction of botany, and it was felt that ia general 

 review of recent Australian work in that science would be the 

 most popular form to which my reading and experience could be 

 directed. 



The foundation of a thorough knowledge of the plants of 

 Queensland was first laid in 1883, when the " Synopsis of the 

 Queensland Flora" was published by Mr. F. M. Bailey, now 

 Government Botanist. This work is mainly a compilation from 

 the celebrated " Flora Australiensis" of Bentham and Mueller, 

 and from the " Fragmenta Phytographije" and other numerous 

 productions of Baron F. von Mueller. The system of classification 

 is that known as the Candollean, which is now so universally 

 adopted, and which is set forth at length in the " Genera Plant- 

 arum" of Bentham and Hooker. This synopsis was at first 

 intended to be much mo: e concise than the form it afterwards 

 attained, and the descriptions of species belonging to the series 

 Thalamiflorae and Disciflorte have lost much of their value from 

 curtailment. Supplements to the main work were published in 

 1886, 1888, and 1890, giving full descriptions of all new, addi- 

 tional, and naturalised plants. In 1889 the Department of 

 Agriculture was constituted, and the Colonial Botanist became 

 an officer of that department ; and with this alteration of position 

 there was instituted a change in the manner of publishing 

 botanical information, which cannot be too highly commended. 

 As soon as new and additional species have been determined in 

 sufficient number, full descriptions of these plants are furnished 

 in pamphlets entitled " Bulletins," of which seven have been 

 issued, being those numbered 4, 7, 9, 13, 18, 20, and 21 by the 

 Department ; an eighth is no-n in the printer's hands. These 

 bulletins are freely supplied to such as may require them, and 

 have been the means of gaining collectors of plants for the 

 Department in all parts of the colony, and have evoked much 

 interest from squatters, planters, farmers, and gardeners, who 

 are constantly in communication with its officers respecting 

 fodder plants, reputed poisonous plants, economic plants, and 

 native species deemed worthy of cultivation. 



