Ill 



So-called delicate plants, such as this species, may be successfully grown' 

 in rather cold districts, e.g., Blue Mountains, Moss Vale, &c.,'iii New South! 

 Wales, by taking advantage of a fact well known to gardeners, namely, they, 

 should be planted with a westerly aspect, so that the sun will not shine on. 

 them too early after a severe frost. 



Mr. Brown gives the life of this tree at from ten to twelve years, and 

 states that it may be stripped from the sixth to the ninth year, according 1 

 to circumstances. It lives longer in sandy soils than in clay ones, 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 107. 



A. Flowering branch. 



B. Individual bud. 

 o. Flower-bead. 



D. Flower. 



K. Flower, opened out, sbowing (a) Calyx, (b) Corolla, 



< Stamens, id) Pistil. 

 F. Pods. 

 .. Seed. 



Acacia penninervis, Sieb. 

 THE MOUNTAIN HICKORY. 



Botanical Name. Penninervis, from two Latin words penna (a feather)', 

 nervus (a nerve, or, in botany, " a vein")* So that penninerved means that 

 the phyllodes (" leaves ") have their venation arranged after the fashion of ;>.' 

 pinnae of a feather. 



Vernacular Names. Usually called " Hickory," or " Mountain Hickory." 1 

 Occasionally called " Black Wattle," e.g., Blue Mountains. 



Unfortunately there are several so-called Hickories in this State, and. 

 therefore, care is necessary to indicate' the right one. Amongst those which*! 

 ;nv known a.s Hickory in different places are Acacia "binervata (anothr 

 the Black Wattles), and even the Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and the? 

 closely-allied Acacia imple.xa. 



Synonyms. 



1. Acacia pcnninervis, Sieb. The normal form, usually a shrub, and 



of no economic importance. 



2. Variety falciformis, Benth. (the Tanning Wattle). Often a big 1 



tree. 



Leaves. It is worthy of note that in some districts in which Mountain 

 Hickory occurs the bark has never been stripped and tried, for the reascn. 

 that people do not look upon it as a Wattle, imagining it to be a Gum-treo 

 because of the appearance of its leaves (phyllodes) ! This state of thiiu'sv 

 is passing away, as the bark is now becoming appreciated in certain quarters, 

 to my personal knowledge, and it is only another instance of the unkn< 

 wealth waiting to be known, and therefore utilised. 



My readers will observe from the plates how variable in size and contour, 

 are the leaves (phyllodia) of the Mountain Hickory. It is, in fact, a veiy 

 variable species, but it may be usually known by means of the thickened 

 dot or gland which is found a little distance along the rim (or marginal 1 

 vein) of the leaf, and from which another vein extends, in a curved manner, 

 to the leaf-stalk. A small leaf-shaped, enclosure, varying in size, is thus 

 partitioned off out of the area of the leaf itself. 



