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of more luxuriant forms will in a struggle for space 

 smother it out of existence. We see this latter result con- 

 stantly taking place about us. Introduced plant* have a 

 common habit of ousting natives. We see in our settled 

 parts the . steady suppression of the original herbage by 

 the more vigorous European weeds. In the struggle for 

 existence there is only room for the fittest; all the others 

 have to go under. In nature there is no sympathy for the 

 weakling. 



The flowers of the family are all of one type, though 

 there is great difference in detail. The first thing we may 

 notice is that there is not both a calyx and corolla. We 

 find only one circle, and in order not to trouble whether 

 this is one or the other we call it a perianth. In older 

 botanical works when this was the case it was called a 

 calyx, though it may look more like a corolla. The 

 perianth in this family is made up of four parts or seg- 

 ments, which are usually united in a tube below and free 

 above. There are four stamens, and their commonest 

 position is one upon each segment ; often they are placed 

 in little depressions close to the tip of each. The pistil 

 consists of a single carpel, placed in the centre of the 

 flower; it may contain few or more ovules. The fruit is 

 variable ; it may be fleshy outside, a thick wooden body, 

 a leathery capsule, or some other form. 



Waratah, though not our commonest form, is the easiest 

 to examine. On our mountains it is a shrub, but in more 

 favourable situations towards the west it assumes the state 

 of a small tree. The leaves are simply shaped, much longer 

 than broad, dark-green, and of hard texture. The flowers 

 are in dense terminal heads, bright crimson, rarely white. 

 A plant of rather different structure, with flowers arranged 

 in linear spikes, is often called White Waratah in the 

 West. 



The perianth of Waratah consists of four rather long, 

 narrow, crimson members, which in the bud adhere to one 

 another along their margin. While still in bud it may 

 be observed that at the end it is rather enlarged and 

 round; also, as it approaches maturity it is bent to one 

 side. The flower opens by the four perianth segments, 

 separating, and sharply coiling back. Now the reason of 

 the terminal thickening is shown. The end of each is like 

 a spoon, with a stamen in it. It is obvious also that the 

 curving was caused by the style, which had grown long 

 while yet in bud, and now stands freely up in the centre of 



