147 



is of sufficient excellence to stand on its own merits. It is good furniture 

 wood, and has a quiet yet handsome figure that looks well under polish. 

 It can be put to most of the uses that Spanish Mahogany is put. I have 

 heard that it is considered valuable for the naves of wheels in the districts in 

 which it grows. 



Following is an extract from a letter written by the late Mr. Thomas 

 Bawden, of Grafton, to me in 1891. He sent me twigs of D. Muellcri: 



''There are many other valuable limbers in the Dorrigo brushes, amours! 

 others Hie 1'encil Cedar, a use for which I learnt, previously unknown to me: 

 I was shown a pair of old dray wheel naves made of Pencil Cedar, some 

 twenty-five years ago. Hitherto I have thought Apple-tree was Ilie most 

 suitable timber we had for that purpose, but this piece- would serve to show 

 that, the Pencil Cedar is equally as good." 



Locally it is used for cabinet-work, flooring, lining, and ceilings of houses. 



Habitat. It is a brush tree belonging to the coastal districts, and probably 

 extending a good deal into the rich brush forests in the upper parts of the 

 rivers. It is a native of our Xorthern Rivers, particularly the Clarence, 

 Richmond, and Tweed. As regards Queensland, Mr. F. M. Bailey, in his 

 Queensland Flora, gives " Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, and other southern 

 parts." John Dallachy found it on the Herbert River, so that its range 

 may be defined from the Clarence to Central Queensland. As regards New 

 South Wales, it should be looked for on the Bellinger, Macleay, and 

 Hastings Rivers. 



EXPLANATION OF 1'LATK 101. 



A. Leaf reduced in size one half. 



u. Leaflet, natural size. 



c. Part of flowering branch. 



D. Flower. ( \.P. Staminal tube yellow outside in a fresh state.) 



E. Flower, opened out. showing- () Corolla, (h) Staminal tube, (c) 



Tubular disc (orange-coloured iu fresh state). D Pistil. 

 v. Calyx and pistil. 

 c. Anther. 

 H. Fruits. 



Owenia cepiodora, E.v.M. 

 THE ONIOX WOOD. 



Botanical Name. Owenia, in honour of the late Sir Richard Owen, the 

 great comparative anatomist of the British Museum; cepiodora, from two 

 Latin words cepa (caepa), an onion, and odor, a smell or odour. 



Vernacular Xame. "Onionwood" or "Bog Onion.'' The timber smells 

 like decayed onions, though often a newly-cut plank has a smell resembling 

 watermelons. 



There is often a gradation of ''pleasant" and " unpleasant. " odour 

 in the same plant. The matter seems worthy of chemical investigation. 

 The onion smell is not always present in this species, being replaced by a 

 melon or pumpkin odour. 



Aboriginal Name. Called " Ingmunyon " by the aborigines, "Bog 

 Onion Tree" by thle white settlers (Mueller, in original description). The 

 late Mr. Alfred Cadell once sent me specimens of this tree with a message 



