216 



Habitat. Found in the coast and mountain brushes from the Shoalhaven 

 northwards from south to north of Queensland. In New South Wales ths 

 most westerly localities known to me are Boggabri (J.H.M.) and Attunga, 

 12 miles north-west of Tamworth (R. H. Cambage). These are both weat 

 of the Dividing Range ; it is usually found east. It extends to Queensland, 

 New Guinea, and the Islands. 



Following are some notes by foresters: 



Not plentiful in my district; found only in brush forests on Jilliby, Wyong, 

 and Mount Cook Creeks. (Mr. Forester Martin, Gosford.) 



Habitat east of Dividing Range, chiefly skirts of brushes, brushes bordering 

 streams and water-courses, sometimes in the open and sandy lands ; in a dwarf 

 form more on land on scrubby mountain tops and slopes. (Mr. Forester 

 Iludder, Booral.) 



A plentiful scrub wood, Kempsey district. (Mr. Forester Macdjonald, 

 Kempsey. ) 



Grows on igneous formation 'at Milton, the most southerly locality known to 

 me. (R. H. Cambage.) 



Occurs at Warialda. (W. Macdonald, C.P. Inspector.) 



Tree about 20 feet in height. Wood is of a light colour, and soft. Generally 

 found at the edge of the scrubs. (Forest Guard W. Dunn, Acacia Creek, 

 JVIacpherson Range.) 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 6. 



Flowering twig, also cluster of fruits, showing the rim or cupule. 



A. Flower (a) Sepal, (7>) Petal, including the stamen (c), (d) Disk, 



filling the calyx-tube, (e) Lobed style. 



B. Vertical section of flower (a) Sepal, (6) Petal, including the 



stamen (c), (d) Disk, filling the calyx-tube, (e) Lobed style. 

 c. c 1 . Different views of stamen. 



D. Petal, including the stamen. 



E. Fruit dissected to show the two nuts or cocci. 



F. The nuts or cocci, showing the method of attachment. 



G. H, i. Views of Seeds. 



Ficus rubiginosa, Desf. 



THE RUSTY FIG. 



Botanical Name. Ficus (Latin), a fig or fig-tree; rubiginosa (Latin), 

 rusty. 



Vernacular Names. " Port Jackson Fig/' " Illawarra Fig," from the best 

 known localities. " Rusty Fig," because of the ferruginous appearance of the 

 young shoots, &c. " Narrow-leaved Fig," " Small-leaved Fig," in comparison 

 with the " Large-leaved Fig " (F. macrophylla) . 



Synonyms. By nurserymen this tree is commonly known as F. australis. 



The species is very largely cultivated in New South Wales, and the plants 

 display a considerable amount of variation. For example, there is an 

 entirely glabrous form in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, which has been 

 labelled F. lucida for many years. I can find no authority for this name, 

 and it should be called F. rubiginosa, Desf., var. lucida, Hort. Syd. 



Leaves. The Moreton Bay Fig (F. macrophylla, Desf.) is an excellent 

 fodder plant, cattle and horses eating the leaves, young twigs, and figs with 

 great zest. For further particulars, see Agricultural Gazette, 1893, page 609, 

 and 1894, page 206. 



