59 



Agrostocrinum stypandroides. Stems erect, simple, often 2 to 3. 

 feet high ; leaves narrow linear, with rather long sheaths quite 

 closed round the stem and flattened ; flowers blue and showy, the 

 raceme simple or once branched, stalklets thread-like, often above 



1 inch long, usually rough as well as the flower stem ; staens six, 

 shorter than the petals, filaments short and hairless, anthers linear 

 longer than the filaments ; petals 6 to 8 lines long, all five-nerved 

 and equal in length, spirally twisted after flowering, then dropping 

 off, but leaving a bell-shaped base attached below the seed vessel, 

 which is nearly globular and about two lines diameter ; seeds i or 



2 in each cell, black, smooth and shining. 



To this description Bentham appends the following note : 

 " Sent by F. Barlee, with a long leafy ..form of Stypandra glauca, as 

 the plant called blind grass, because it is supposed to cause blindness 

 in cattle and sheep that eat of it." It is easily distinguished on close 

 examination from Slypandra glauca by the petals becoming twisted 

 after flowering and afterw r ards falling off, leaving the lower part 

 still attached below the swelling seed vessel. 



This species may be the blue poison, classed by some in 

 addition to the Candyup, which also is blue, and reported by Mr. 

 J. F. T. Hassell as growing on granite hills between Cape Leeuwin 

 and Mount Manypeaks, reaching two feet in height, and flowering 

 from August to November. 



ADDITIONAL LIST OF WEST AUSTRALIAN PLANTS SAID TO BE 



POISONOUS. 



Antlwccrcis sp. All the species of this genus are poisonous to 

 stock, according to the late Baron von Mueller. 



Beycria viscosa, Miq. Reported poisonous in New South Wales, 



Bill bine, seinibarbata, Haw. A "native onion" or "native leek." 

 A strong poison. 



Cassia Sturtii, R.Br. Suspected in Queensland. 



Ccntipcda orbicularis^LoiIr. (= Myriogync iiu'mila, Less.) Sus- 

 pected in New South Wales. 



Datura Leichardlii, F.v.M. Reported poisonous in Queenslanc 



Didiscus pilosiis, Benth. u Wild, or poison parsnip." 



Duboisia Hopivoodii, F.v.M. Used in medicine. 



Dysphania litloralis, R.Br. Suspected in Queensland. 



Ercmophila uiacnlala, F.v.M. Often suspected in New South 

 Wales, and believed to be poisonous in Queensland. 



fcnphorbiii Dniiiiniondii, Boiss. Has an old and apparently 

 well-established reputation as a poisonous plant, but lately shown 

 by Mr. E. Stanley and others to be sometimes harmless and good 

 feed for stock. 



- fi-i'inopliilti, A. Cunn. Suspected in New South Wales. 



Exocarpus ciipwsifonnis, B.Br. " Native cherry." According 

 to Woolls, as quoted by Maiden, suspected of causing cerebral 

 symptoms similar to those brought on by certain leguminous plants. 



