272 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 



3. The plants of the creek sides in the lower parts of the 



tableland. 



4. The plants of the precipices. 



These associations, or formations as they are called, differ most 

 radically in the plants that compose them, and will be treated in 

 order, and in detail. 



6. The Vine Scrubs. — ^These are best studied from the tracks, 

 of which each mountain has one chief track, following mainly its 

 N. and S. axis, and kept clear for riding or driving; and many timber 

 tracks, more or less overgrown. The sides of the tracks are usually 

 lined with a dense growth of Pollia macrophylla, Benth., a tall plant 

 of the order Commelinaceae, with dense panicles of white flowers 

 and oval berries; behind this fringe is a taller growth of a plant with 

 somewhat similar aspect— .4 ^/jmm aerulea, Benth. — one of the 

 Scit Smineae, whose flowers, from their colour and labellum, might 

 make one think they belonged to the orchid family. Among these 

 grows a beautiful Uly with white or flesh-pink flowers, Kreysigia 

 tnulti flora, Reich., the specific name is usually a misnomer on these 

 basaltic areas, as the flowers are often solitary, rarely possessing 

 three or four blooms in the same inflorescence. 



The tree trunks are drawn up tall and straight by the struggle 

 to reach the light ; between them are numerous shrubs, and binding 

 the trees together are still more numerous creeping stems, locally 

 known as " vines." These belong mainly to five orders, Legu- 

 minosae, Ampelideae, Cucurbitaceae, Menispermaceae, and Lihaceae. 

 The leguminous plants show nothing that can compete in size of 

 pod with the match-box bean of N. Queensland, but many are 

 interesting on account of their flowers, as Milletia megasperma, 

 F. V. M., a near relation of the Chinese Wistaria ; Kennedy a rubi- 

 cunda, Vent., with dark red flowers, H to 2 inches long ; Mucuna 

 gigantea, D.C., whose pods are covered with hairs that are pungent 

 and irritating ; Canavalia ohtusifolia, D.C., whose leaves, like the 

 last mentioned, are trifoliate, but with white or pink flowers instead 

 of the greenish yellow of Mticuna ; Derris scandens, whose pods are 

 one or several seeded, thin, and acute at both ends ; and finally the 

 Blood Vine, as it is known locally, distinguished by its dark purple 

 flowers and blood-red sap — Lonchocarpus Blackii, Benth. 



The vine family, Ampelideae is very fully represented. The 

 most common species is Vitis antarctica. Benth., with simple leaves, 

 whose stems form great cables drooping in curves from the tallest 

 trees. Trifoliate leaved vines are represented by Vitis nitens, F. v. 

 M., and V. acris, F. v. M. Vines whose leaves are divided into five 

 leaflets are V. clematidea, F. v. M., with a pedate arrangement of 

 leaflets ; V. hypoglanca, F. v. M., whose leaflets are digitate and 

 large, while the leaves of V. opaca, F. v. M., are digitate and small. 

 These are all known to bushmen as water- vines, but the name is 

 specially applicable to Vitis antarctica, Benth., because where water 

 is scarce a section of the vine as thick as a man's wi'ist, and some 

 two feet Ions, is cut and upended in a pannikin, when half that 



