48 AUSTRALIAN GRASSES AND PASTURE PLANTS 



plant, which is considered nutritious. Sheep are very fond 

 of the carrot-like roots, and often scrape away the earth with 

 their hoofs in order to get at them. At one time the roots 

 formed an article of food for the aborigines, who used to roast 

 them on ashes before eating them. The seed lobes of this 

 plant have no sharp points like those of the one previously 

 referred to. 



Darling Clover (Trigonella suavissima), an illustration 

 of which accompanies this letterpress, is a clover-like plant 

 with fragrant stems and leaves, and occurs in more or less 

 abundance over an immense area in the interior. In favour- 

 able situations it produces stems three feet long or more. 

 When growing on land that is subject to periodical inunda- 

 tions, it produces a large amount of nutritious herbage, of 

 which stock are particularly fond, and on which they fatten. 

 Though this plant gives the greatest yield of herbage on fertile 

 land, it often grows on stony rises and on inferior country, 

 and in such situations it is a valuable addition to the pastures, 

 as it provides good feed in late winter and early spring ere 

 many other useful forage herbs begin to put forth much new 

 growth. The perfume of this plant is due to the presence of 

 the chemical principle coumarine which prevades all parts of 

 the plant. The Darling Clover is one of the many indigenous 

 herbs that would well repay systematic cultivation in the 

 interior, where exotic clovers would not succeed, owing to the 

 aridity and great heat in summer. If cut when in flower, and 

 properly cured, it makes good hay. Its young succulent stems 

 and leaves are an excellent table vegetable when properly 

 cooked and served. When allowed to grow undisturbed for 

 a time the Darling Clover freely produces seed which usually 

 ripens during summer. 



Mustard. Many cruciferous plants are popularly known 

 by the name of mustard, with various prefixes, or cress, on 

 account of the pungent flavour that pervades most of them. 



