HORTICULTURE, 147 



Bacularia monostacluja, and the Cabbao-o-tj'cc Palm, Livistona Aus'tralis. 

 In tlie dense '^ brushes " grow magnificent specimens of the "Silky- 

 Oak/' GreviUia rohiis-ta, a most useful tree for ornajnental ])urposes in 

 large gardens and for street-planting. Strange to say, this tree thrives 

 well, and flowers and seeds abundantly when planted in our dry 

 western districts, which have quite a different climate to that of the 

 moist, humid climate in which it is indigenous. In these '' brushes " 

 also grow the beautiful Hijmenosporum jasminoides, frequently culti- 

 vated in our gardens ; the Flame-tree, Brachychiton acerifolinvi, which 

 is one of the most gorgeous trees it is possible to imagine when bear- 

 ing its masses of scarlet bell-shaped flowers before the leaves appear. 

 This would be an acquisition to any garden in the world where it 

 would thrive ; the Richmond River pine, very ornamental when 

 young; the Moreton Bay chestnut, Castauos'permum Australe, one of 

 the most, beautiful and ornamental of trees ; the Queensland nut, 

 Macadamia ternifolia, which bears sweetly-scented flowers and after- 

 wards excellent nuts. This tree is very ornamental, and worth grow- 

 ing. Handsome creepers and climbing plants abound here also — • 

 Passifloras, Hoyas, Jasmines, and the beautiful Tecoma jasminoidrs, 

 bearing large^ bell-shaped, pinkish flowers, which is frequently culti- 

 vated in our gardens. In swampy places and along the edges of creeks 

 the handsome white-flowered Crinum j^edunculatum abounds, and all 

 through the bi'ushes are millions of the large ornamental-leaved Coloc- 

 asia macrorrhiza. 



Perhaps the most beautiful flowering plant in the north is the 

 "water lily [Nymjjhepe gigantea), some flowers of which were lately 

 sent to Her Majesty the Queen, in ice, by a Sydney florist. This grows 

 in creeks and lagoons about the Richmond and Clarence Rivers, and 

 beautiful indeed it is to see in its natural state floating in great masses 

 on the still water. The fig-trees, Ficiis macrojjJiijUa, F. ruhigpnosiim, 

 F. aspera, and F. vesca are deserving of mention, for they are used 

 extensively, especially the first mentioned, for ornamental and shade 

 purposes. Ficus vesca is exceedingly handsome, but not so well known 

 as the others. Some of these figs grow to extraordinary perfection in 

 the north, but it would need pages to describe them and their remark- 

 able peculiarities. Along the coast, in poor s^aidy country, some of 

 our prettiest flowers grow to great perfection. The Christmas Bells 

 (Blandfordia) , the Christmas Bush fCerotapetalum gammiferum) , the 

 Waratah [Telopea speciosissima) , all easy of garden cultivation; the 

 Flannel Flower [Actinotus helianthi), made popular by Lady Carring- 

 ton; the Epacrids, Correas, Boronias, Gigantic Lily {Duryanthcs 

 exceha), and numbers and numbers of other pretty flowers. Some of 

 the native orchids are grown in our gardens, chiefly the handsome, 

 Dendrobrium speciosum, which thrives Avell about Sydney. D. Knig- 

 ianum is exceedingly pretty ; and there are several other sj^ecies worth 

 the growing, but not often collected. One of our most beautiful 

 orchids is Sarcochilus Fitzgerald i, Avhich, however, is rather rare. Of 

 ferns sometimes collected there are Adiantuns of several species, several 

 Alsophelas, Cyatheas, Todeas, Gleichenias, Triconiancs, Dicksonias, 

 Lijgodium. scandens, Aspleniums, Polypodiums, Lomarias, and numbers 

 of other ferns, including the remarkalile Stag and Elk Horn Ferns, 

 Platycerium alcicorne and grande. 



