394 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Ptilotus hemisteirus. F. v. Mueller. 



Desert-regions of Australia. On this herb sheep do particularly 

 well ; so on some other species, for instance P. alopecuroid.es [Mrs. 

 M. Heal]. Easily disseminated. 



Pteropyrum Aucheri. Jaubert and Spach. 



Persia and Afghanistan, A desert-shrub, remarkable for the 

 brilliancy of its scarlet fruits. Used locally for fodder [Aitchison], 

 therefore perhaps deserving traiislocation to the deserts of Aus- 

 tralia and other parts of the globe. 



Ptychosperma Alexandra?. F. v. Mueller. 



The Alexandra- Palm. Queensland, as well in tropical as extra- 

 tropical latitudes. The tallest of Australian, palms, and one of the 

 noblest forms in the whole empire of vegetation. Aged it exceeds 

 100 feet in height, and is likely destined to grace many shady moist 

 groves yet outside the tropics, so long as they are free from frost, 

 as this palm seems less tender than most others. The demand for 

 seeds has already been enormous ; for long voyages they are best 

 packed fresh into the sawdust of resinous kinds of wood. 



Ptychosperma Arlakiana, Eeccari. 



New Guinea, reaching elevations of 5,000 feet in comparatively 

 temperate regions. Height as much as 30 feet. 



Ptychosperma Cunningrhami, Hermann Wendland. 



East-Australia, as far south as Illawarra ; thus one of the most 

 southern of all palms. This also is a very high species, destined to 

 take a prominent position in decorative plantations even far beyond 

 the tropics. Several congeners occur in Fiji and other islands of 

 the Pacific Ocean, and others again might be obtained from -India, 

 but they are probably not so hardy as those just mentioned. 

 Though strictly speaking of no direct industrial value, these palms 

 are important for horticultural trade, and are objects eminently 

 fitted for experiments in acclimation. 



Ptychosperma disticha, Miquel. (Areca disticha, Griffith.) 

 Assam, up to 4,000 feet. 



Ptychosperma elegans, Blume. (P. Seaforthia, Miquel; Seaforthia 

 elegans, R. Brown.) 



Literal forests of tropical Australia. Also a magnificent Feather- 

 palm. Its leaflets are erose. It may prove hardy in mild extra- 

 tropic regions. 



