96 



Propagation. In some seasons it produces large quantities of pods, and 

 the germination of the seed is attended -with no particular difficulty. In 

 view of the value of this tree for stock-fodder, and of the fact that it is 

 gradually becoming scarce, it would appear to be a public duty for pastor- 

 alists and others to fence in at least a few trees, so as to enable them to 

 mature their pods and propagate their kind. If this be not done the tree 

 may eventually be in danger of becoming extinct, as the seedlings are 

 readily eaten out by stock, and no young trees are, therefore, in many 

 districts, coming forward to replace the old ones. The Mistletoe pest is 

 also destroying it. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 01. 



A. Flowering branch. 



B. Bud. 



c. Flower. 



ix Portion of expanded flower showing (a) Calyx, (fc) Petal, 

 (c) Stamens, (d) Pistil, (e) Stigma. 



E. Pods. 



F. Seed (enlarged). 



The flowers from Coolabah, X.S.W. The fruits from Miss Officer, Zara, 

 vi& Hay. 



Acacia homalophylla, A. Cunn. 

 THE YARRAN. 



Botanical Name. Homalophylla, from two Greek words omales 

 (omalos), even, level, referring to the smoothness, and perhaps also to the 

 general uniformity of the phyllodes in this species; pJiullon (phyllon), a leaf 

 (phyllode). 



Vernacular Names. This is the common " Yarran." I do not know the 

 origin of the name, which is well established and distinctive. Some trees 

 have a curly inlocked grain in their wood, and hence are known as " Curly 

 Yarran." Concerning these the late Mr. Forester Kidston, of the Lachlan 

 district, wrote some years ago : 



I never could discover any external difference betXveen " Curly Yarran " and 

 "Yarran," except a wave in the bark showing the curls in the wood. I only 

 know one patch of "Curly Yarran" in my beat. There are, however, several 

 kinds of Yarruu. 1st, Yarran; Und, Mowar, and, 3rd. another out near Moss- 

 giel, which sheep eat. The two former are no good to sheep. 



I never got the specimens from Mr. Kidston to which he referred, and 

 would point out that the term " Yarran " is somewhat loosely used, and 

 that sometimes twigs have been sent to me as Yarran which really are not 

 Yarran at all, but other wattles. 



In New South Wales the opinion is pretty widely held that the leaves 

 of certain trees may be edible in one district and not edible in another. 

 As a very general rule, I believe this idea to be erroneous, and to have 

 arisen through confusion of closely related trees. I have raised the ques- 

 tion, which is very important to pastoralists, in my " Forest Flora of New 

 South Wales,"' but the material sent to Sydney for examination has been 

 unsatisfactory. 



Acacia Oswaldi is also sometimes called "Yarran," with some qualifying 

 adjective. 



