IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 181 



Livistona Australia, Martius. 



East Australia, The only Palm-tree in Victoria, occurring in East 

 Gippsland (in the latitude of Melbourne), and there attaining a 

 height of 80 feet. It endures the winters of South France to 43 

 32' south lat. (Naudin) The young leaves can be plaited as a 

 material for cabbage-tree hats. The seeds (of which about 200 are 

 contained in one pound) retain their vitality far longer than those 

 of the Australian Ptychospermas. This palm can be transferred 

 from its native haunts to very long distances for growth, by pre- 

 viously separating the main portion of the root from the soil, and 

 leaving the plant for some months still on the original spot, so as to 

 remove it finally with new rootlets, retaining much soil. Some of 

 the Indian Livistonas may be equally hardy ; their stems often 

 tower above the other forest-trees. 



Livistona Chinensis, R Brown. 



South China and Japan. A very decorative Fan-Palm, hardy in 

 the lowlands of Victoria. 



Livistona Mariae, F. v Mueller. 



Central and West Australia, barely within the tropics. This noble 

 Fan-Palm attains 40 feet in height, and is likely to prove very 

 hardy. 



Lolium perenne, Linne.* 



Europe, North Africa, Western Asia. The perennial Rye Grass, 

 mentioned here for the sake of completeness. L. Italicum (Al. 

 Br.), the Italian Rye Grass, seems to be only a variety. One of 

 the most important of all pasture grasses, also almost universally 

 chosen for lawn culture. It produces an abundance of seeds, 

 which are readily collected and easily vegetate. It comes early to 

 perfection. Nevertheless the produce and nutritive powers are 

 considerably less than those of Dactylis glomerata, Alopecurus 

 pratensis, and Festuca elatior ; but it pushes forward earlier than 

 the last-mentioned grass, while the ripening of seeds is less defective 

 than in Alopecurus. The chemical analysis, made very early in 

 spring, gave the following results : Albumen, 3-36 ; gluten, 4-88; 

 starch, 0'51 ; gum, T80 ; sugar, 1-80 percent. (F. v. Mueller and 

 L. Rummel) At the London Sewerage Depot 60 tons of Rye 

 Grass were obtained from one acre (Mclvor). Rye Grass, though 

 naturally living but a few years, maintains its ground well by the 

 ease with which it disseminates itself spontaneously. Several sorts, 

 which can scarcely be called varieties, are under cultivation. Rye 

 Grass stands the dry heat of Australian summers well. It is likely 

 to spread gradually over the whole of the Australian continent, 

 and to play an important part in pasture, except the hottest desert 



