PASTURE HERBS 53 



animals, and which in the interior often afford them both feed 

 and moisture. Its stems and leaves are gathered, cooked and 

 eaten both by the white settlers and by the blacks. When 

 allowed to grow undisturbed for a time this plant produces 

 quantities of small, black seeds, which are collected, cooked 

 and used as an article of food by the aborigines in the interior. 



Tarvine (Boerhaavia diffusa) has spreading stems, grow- 

 ing sometimes several feet long, and often forming a dense 

 mass of herbage. It occurs over large tracts of both good and 

 inferior country in the interior, and occasionally near the coast, 

 in all the Australian States, and in many districts is fairly 

 plentiful. Its rather thick, fleshy, long roots, which at one 

 time formed an article of food for the aborigines, are said to 

 have vermifuge properties. The Tarvine withstands a long 

 period of dry weather, and its green leaves, and small, pink 

 flowers may often be seen when the surrounding vegetation 

 is withered for the want of rain. It is a good forage plant, 

 and both cattle and sheep are partial to it. As it begins to 

 grow in early spring, before many other useful kinds of 

 herbage put forth new leaves, it is a desirable plant to encourage 

 in the pastures. The plant may frequently be seen growing in 

 juxtaposition to members of the mallow family, particularly 

 species of Lavatera, Malvastrum, and Si 7 a, several of which 

 whilst young are good forage plants. In that state sheep and 

 cattle are very fond of them, for both their stems and leaves 

 are succulent and mucilaginous. An illustration of the 

 Tarvine accompanies this letterpress. 



Warrigal Cabbage (Tetragonia expansa) is a prostrate- 

 growing annual, with stems, which sometimes extend several 

 feet, clothed with succulent leaves from two to four inches long. 

 It is widely distributed in all the States of the Commonwealth, 

 from the coast to far inland, and occurs on both good and 

 inferior country. Warrigal Cabbage is both an excellent 

 table vegetable, when properly cooked and served, and a very 



