61 
species) is more valuable for resisting the encroachments of rolling sand 
than is the grass under present notice, but we should not neglect our 
indigenous plants. The ‘Spiny Rolling Grass,” planted already by 
bountiful Nature along many parts of our coast, is capable of much 
good if landowners and public officers would only encourage its growth 
as a sandstay. Stock will rarely eat it, which circumstance is both an 
advantage and a drawback. It may be propagated readily, and it is 
of rapid growth. The “Spiny Rolling Grass” and the ‘‘ Marram”’ are 
different in habit; the former is prostrate, while the latter is tall 
and erect, like rushes. 
In this connection, the Newcastle sand-drift forces itself at once on 
our notice. At Newcastle and at other places on our coast (e.g., 
Wollongong), the “ Spiny Rolling Grass” has done much service, 
although it promises to fall into comparative neglect through the 
phenomenal success which has attended the imtroduction of the 
** Marram Grass” into Austraha. 
As has been pointed out in the course of an inquiry in regard to 
sandstays in India, no one plant is serviceable in all situations for the 
purpose; but where it is desired to utilise a grass, the “Spiny Rolling 
Grass” should always be given a trial. One advantage of it is its 
extensive geographical range, for it is practically indigenous all round 
the Continent. Sydney people will find quantities of it at the Spit, 
near Manly, and at Lady Robinson’s Beach. 
Many other of our native plants have been used as sandstays in 
addition to the grasses, e,g., Acacia longifolia, Willd., var. Sophore, 
a golden wattle, with very spreading habit; several of the tea-trees, 
and particularly Leptospermum levigatum, F.v.M., together with 
several of the Melaleucas. Then, some of our Casuarinas are most 
valuable, particularly C. glauca, the swamp oak, and C. Cunningham- 
dana—the river oak. ‘To cite but one instance, one of the islands in 
the Bega River would be washed away if the oaks on it were felled, 
and hence they are protected by the Forest Department. An allied 
species (C. equisetifolia) is very largely planted in India in almost pure 
sand, particularly in the Madras Presidency. 
In other countries the question of preventing the encroachment of 
sea-sand upon adjacent land has often become of the greatest import- 
ance. The reclamation of the “ Landes” of south-western France 
occurs at once to most of us. Here millions of acres of desert wastes 
have been transformed into valuable land through the success which 
has attended the planting of the Maritime or Cluster Pine (Pinus 
pinaster, or maritima), and not only has the problem of arresting the 
sand been solved, but the trees are tapped for resin, which is distilled 
for turpentine, forming the basis of a great industry. 
Habitat and range——Found round nearly the whole of the Australian 
Colonies, on the sea-shore. It extends also to New Caledonia and 
New Zealand. 
Reference to Plates.—Male plant—l, creeping stem, with foliage ; 1a, inflorescence ; 
2, spikelet. Female or fertile plant—l, creeping stem with foliage ; la, inflorescence ; 
2, spikelet ; 3, ovary, with feathery stigmas. 
