Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 501 



Selago leptostachya, E. Meyer. 



South- Africa. There an excellent bush for sheep-pastures in the 

 Karro-grounds, reproduced spontaneously with great readiness from 

 dropping seeds, and maintaining itself also by the running stems. It 

 is the " Waterfinder " of the Orange-river regions, indicating generally 

 humidity beneath the ground [MacOwan]. The genus Selago is very 

 rich in species, nearly all South- African. 



Selinum anesorrzhium, F. v. Mueller. (Anesorrhiza Capensis, Chamisso 

 and Schlechtendal. ) 



South-Africa. The root of this biennial herb is edible. A. mon- 

 (ana (Ecklon and Zeyher), a closely allied plant, yields likewise an 

 edible root ; and so it is with a few other species of the section 

 Anesorrhiza. 



Selinum Gmelini, Kurtz. 



North-West America. The root of this herb is an important 

 article for sustenance to the aborigines of Alaska. It is succulent, 

 internally white, and resembles Parsnip in taste. 



Selinum Monnieri, Linne*. 



Eastern-Asia, preferring moist places. An annual herb, praised 

 by the Chinese as valuable for medicinal purposes. 



Sequoia sempervirens, Endlicher.* (Taxodium sempervirens, Lambert.) 



Redwood-tree or Bastard-Cedar of North-Western America, chiefly 

 California. One of the most colossal trees of the globe, exception- 

 ally becoming 360 feet high, occasionally with a stem-diameter of 

 55 feet at the base. Likes humidity of soil, particularly in its early 

 youth [Prof. Meehan]. The wood is reddish, soft, easily split, very 

 durable, but light and brittle. The timber of mission-buildings 100 

 years old is still quite sound. The growth of this tree is about 32 

 feet in sixteen years. The tree is often found on metamorphic sand- 

 stone. Particularly fit also for calcareous soil [Dr. Masters]. It 

 luxuriates in the cool dampness of sea-fogs. Shinn describes these 

 Sequoias as rugged shafts, rising like huge monolithic columns, 

 crowned with downward-curving branches of shining green. Dr. 

 Gibbons writes, that this tree forms forests along the coast-range for 

 a distance of about 200 miles in a belt 20 miles wide. The wood is 

 suitable for external as well as internal finish. It constitutes almost 

 the sole material for weather-boarding along the Californian coast ; 

 and for fence-posts, foundations of buildings, and railway-sleepers it 

 is almost the only material used there. Is also susceptible of a 

 splendid polish for furniture ; is largely sawn into boards aud shingles, 

 furnishing in California the cheapest lumber. Stem bare for 100 feet 

 or more ; when cut, sending suckers from the root for renovation. 

 Sprouts from cut-down Redwood-trees have attained a maximum 



