276 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 



The trunks of trees are clothed with mosses and lichens, with 

 festoons of the climbing ferns Polypodium scandens, Forst., and 

 Aspidium ramosum, Beau, the fronds of the former showing the 

 greatest diversity of shape and margin, or with the climbing aroid 

 Pothos Loureiri, Hook. & Arn. The last named has red or orange 

 coloured fruits, three-quarters of an inch long, and, at this stage 

 especially, is one of the beauties of the vegetable world. Other 

 chmbing ferns are Polypodium serpens, Forst., and P. confltiens, 

 R. Br., each with small, simple fronds. The large trunks of scrub 

 trees are at times covered with heavy masses of the yellow bloom 

 of Dendrohinm speciosum, Sm., or of its white variety Hillii, F. v. M. 

 Other common epiphytical orchids are D. ieiragomwi, A. Cunn. ; 

 D. cemulum, R. Br. ; D. gracilicmile, F. v. M. ; D. monophyllum, 

 F. V. M. ; D. linguifonne , Swartz ; the tongue orchid, D. teretifo- 

 lium, R. Br. ; the pencil orchid^ and its allies, D. Beckleri, F. v. M., 

 and D. Mortii, F. v. M. Of the genus Bidbophyllum the most 

 common are B. aurantiacum, F. v. M. with orange-coloured flowers 

 and small ovoid pseudobulbs ; B. exiguum, F. v. M, climbing for 

 long distances on small trees, usually in the more open parts of the 

 scrub, its small pseudobulbs joined b^' slender threads ; and B. 

 Elisce, with its white, pink, or purple flowers turned to one side of 

 the stem. The genus Sarchochilus is fairly exemplified by nume- 

 rous specimens of 5. divitiflorns, F. Muell. ; S. falcatiis, R. Br. ; 

 5. olivaccus, Linde; and S. Cecilice, the racemes of the last species 

 showing lovely sprays of pink bells. 



Underfoot, the cunjevoi, Alocasia niacrorrhiza, Schott, is every- 

 where, the earth near the rootstock almost always showing freshly 

 dug holes, where the scrub turkey, Tallegallus Lathami, Gray, has 

 been feeding. One treads upon low bushes of three species of 

 Rubiaceae, Psychotria daphnoides, A. Cunn., P. loniceroides, Sieb., 

 the former with glabrous leaves, the latter with hairy ones, and a 

 species with glaucous green leaves, about one inch long, with a pro- 

 cumbent habit, probably P. simmondsiana v. exigua ? which may 

 prove a new species. The common terrestrial ferns are Polypodium 

 aspidioides, Bail, Aspidiion aristatum, Swartz, A. decompositum, 

 Spreng, and A acideatiim. 



7. The Open Forest. — -In this association most of the plants 

 of Indo-Malayan athnities are conspicuous by their absence, myr- 

 taceous and leguminous plants are the dominant feature. Besides 

 the well-known Queensland blue gum. Eucalyptus tereticornis, Sm., 

 there are present the grey g"um, E. saligna, Sm., the bloodw^ood, E. 

 corymbosa, Sm., the Brisbane box, Tristania conjerta, R. Br., the 

 yellow- flowered box, also known as a water gum, Tristania laurina, 

 R. Br., and the tallow-wood, or turpentine. Eucalyptus microcorys, 

 F.v.M. This last has a far healthier appearance ',h an on the coast 

 plains ; its bark is of a clear cinnamon brown, and next to Eucalyp- 

 tus hotryoides, Sm., it is the largest plant of the myrtle family on 

 these tablelands. Although less in height, it exceeds the water gum 

 in girth ; one specimen was 26 feet in girth at a height of 6 feet 

 from the ground. 



1. Ilpndrobium teretifolium, A'. />'' . 



