THE FLORA OF S. E. QUEENSLAND. 273 



vessel is filled with a clear, tasteless sap. that can be drunk, and 

 will quench thirst like water. The fruits of several species are 

 fairly large and juicy, but when swallowed they affect the throat 

 and palate like a strong astringent 



The most rampant climbers of the order Cucurbitace;e are 

 Alsomiira suberosa, Bail., whose stems are furnished with corky 

 flanges, hence thespecific na.me, a.ndTrichosantJtes subvelutina, F.v.M., 

 with enormous melon-like fruits, 6 or 7 inches long, and 3 or 4 

 inches wide, which ripen about the middle of summer They are 

 oval in shape, and have yellow splashes on a dark green ground. 

 The roots of this species are furnished with large underground tubers. 



The most common climber of the order Menispermaceae is 

 Stepluinia hernandicBfolia, Walp., which is usually found on the 

 edges of the scrub, and sometimes in the open forest coimtry. As 

 described in a former paper, ^ it is locallj' known as the " tape vine," 

 and was called by the aborigines Nyannum. It was beaten out by 

 them with their tomahawks, until it formed fiat fibrous " tapes," 

 and was then thrown into water- holes, stupefying the fish, and 

 causing them to float to the surface on their backs, when they were 

 secured and eaten. An ally with prickly stems, named on that 

 account. 5. aculeata. Bail., is sparingly found on the edges of scrubs. 

 Another plant of this order with active poisonous effects is Sarco- 

 petakmi Hnrveyanum, F. v. M., easily distinguished from the two 

 last, which have more or less peltate leaves, and a solitary carpel, 

 by its cordate leaves, and 3 to 6 carpels. Another vine of these 

 southern scrubs is Legnephora Moorei, ]\Iiers, better known as 

 Cocculns Moorei, F. v. M. ; it has leaves 6 inches long and nearly 

 as broad, varying from ovate to acutely pointed, with a flattened 

 base. 



Lihaceous climbers belong mainly to the genera Sniilax and 

 Rhipogonum ; they are known to country people as " supplejacks." 

 Two species of Smilax inhabit these sci'ubs — S. australis R.Br., 

 with prickly stems, and leaves usually five-nerved, and S. glycy- 

 phylla Sm. with unarmed stems, and leaves usually three-nerved. 

 As a Brazihanspecies supplies most of the sarsaparilla of the pharma- 

 cist, while a North American species provides the bowls of the 

 well-known " briar-root " pipes, it seems a pity that no experiments 

 so far have been made with our native species. Four species of 

 Rhipogonum may be found on these mountains, of which one — R. 

 Fawcettianuni, F. v. M., has unarmed stems and ovate-cordate 

 leaves ; the others have prickly stems and usually oblong leaves. 



Two plants belonging to the order Apocynacese are also com- 

 monly found as lianas in these scrubs. One Lyonsia largiflorens, 

 F. V. M., is fairly common. It may be distinguished by its large 

 cordate opposite leaves, often six inches long, and its axillary 

 cymes. The young shoots and flower clusters are covered with a 

 minute pubescence. The other is rare in the vine scrubs, but 



1 " A Fish Poison of the -Aborigines," Proc. Roy. Soc, Vol. .XL, pp. 83-90. 



