337 



great profusion), a Hax, which I could not distinguish from Linuui 

 perennc, a Medicago, closely resembling M. maculata, two species of 

 Convolvulus, exactly resembling C. sepium and C. arvensis, a Gera- 

 nium, with the habit of G. dissectum, but with very large bulbous 

 roots, Stellaria graminea, Polygonum Persicaria, and several others. 

 But this vegetation is entirely confined to the open grassy country ; 

 the Flora of the forest ranges being entirely of an exotic character, 

 abounding particularly in orchidaceous plants, most of which I believe 

 lo be nondescript. These flower in the early spring, with the excep- 

 tion of a Neottia, which takes the place of N. spiralis, and is nearly 

 similar, but larger, and with very fi'agrant pink flowers. 



As I was one of the first settlers in that district, 1 feel fully assured 

 that the species I have enumerated were not introduced, the land being 

 then entirely in a state of nature. 



Thomas Corder. 



Writtle, September, 1845. 



On the identity of Avena sativa with A. fatua, being the result of 

 observations during a residence of five years in the province 

 of South Australia. By Thomas Corder, Esq., A.L.S. 



On my first settling in the above colony, I found it to be a general 

 belief amongst farmers, that the common oat was apt to degenerate if 

 sown several years in succession on the same soil ; and was also in- 

 formed that the farmers in Van Diemen's Laud were in the habit of 

 renewing their seed from England every year. This led me to inquire 

 into the subject, and I will now proceed to give the result of my ob- 

 servations. In August, 1842, I procured some seed oats of excellent 

 quality, weighing about 421bs. per bushel, which had been grown two 

 seasons in the province : these I sowed on three acres of new ground 

 which had never before been cropped. In January, 1843, my crop 

 was ripe, but the quality of the grain was inferior to that sown, and a 

 portion of the plants began to assume the appearance of Avena fatua. 

 The oat, though still white, was somewhat hairy at the extremity, and 

 in some cases was awned. The summer being hot, a large quantity 

 dropped out in cutting, so that I allowed it to remain as a self-sown 

 crop, without ploughing, and in January, 1844, I had a second crop 

 ripe, about equal in quantity to the first, but by this time a portion 

 had changed entirely to fatua, and a very small part of the remainder 

 Vol. II. 2 t 



