50 



Bri.irht aiul glorious is that revelation 



^^'l■ittell all over this world of ours. 

 Making evident our creation 



In these stars of earth — these golden flowers. 



It is always with the greatest interest that botanists behold 

 that flora which the father of Australian botanists, Robert Brown, 

 F.L.S., beheld with so much delight a ci ntury ago; and no 

 wonder, for he was the first scientist to view South Australia's 

 flora, and I believe that in the herbarium of the Botanic Gardens, 

 Sydney, some of the original specimens collected by him during 

 that memorable voyage of the Investigator in 1802 are still to be 

 seen. So the botanists of our expedition trod the same soil, looked 

 upon the same flora, and, 1 dare say, could well understand the 

 feelings of that great man, who visited this district for the first 

 time. The flora of the peninsular was fairly rich and very charac- 

 teristic of that semi-desert country. At the time of our visit many 

 plants and shrubs were in blossom, and gave our specialists plenty 

 of work. One of the most marked features of the district was the 

 quantity of broom bush which belongs to the teatree family 

 (T'llelaleiica-uncinata). This seemed to vie with the mallee in 

 density. Of the stunted or dwarf eucalypts two species seemed to 

 predominate (Encalyptus-calycogona and B.-uncinata). A pretty 

 pink flowering dwarf teatree (Melaleuca-decussata) was very at- 

 tractiA'e, and it was from the sweet-smelling flowers of this shrub 

 that many captures in insect life were made. Of timber trees the 

 sugar gum (Eucalyptus corynocalyx) was most in evidence, and w(! 

 were all disgusted at the wanton destruction of this splendid 

 timber gum. Esleucoxylon, Esodorota. and Essantalifolia were 

 also identified. The flowering shrub which was growing in most 

 profusion around Warunda Creek and enlivened the landscape 

 with its wealth of bright yellow flowers was the Hlbbertia- 

 stricta, and H.-sericea was also noted. A large and handsome 

 flowering hibiscus drew forth much admiration from the party. 

 It was the H.-wrayae. This plant seemed to have a partiality 

 jfor damp situations, and was to be found on flats and 

 low-lying places where the creek had over-flowed. Here large 

 bushes 10 to 12 feet high were found. In like localities the hand- 

 some bottlebrush (Callistemon-coccineus) was found in full flower, 

 making a blaze of colour with its bright red flowers. Mr. C. Bar- 

 rett (Victoria), writing lately on the flora of Warunda Creek, says: 

 —"The flame bush had been a fitter name for this lovely plant. 

 The term bottle brush describes the general appearance, sans 

 colour, of the bloom, but sounds harsh and ugly." I quite agree 

 with him; such a goi'geous shrub deserves a better name. The 



