516 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



An extensive article about this plant appeared in tne periodical of 

 the Societe d'Acclimatation de France, July, 1891, by M. Paul 

 Chappellier, who recommends hybridisation with S. palustris. 



Stenopetalum nutans, F. v. Mueller. 



Central Australia. An excellent annual herb for sheep-pastures, 

 disseminating itself over the ground readily [Rev. H. Kempe]. 

 The naturalisation of other species, all Australian, might be effected 

 in arid hot sandy deserts. 



Stenotaphrum dimidiatum, Trinius.* (S. Americanum, Schrank.) 



South-Asia, North- Australia, Africa, warmer countries of America ; 

 not known as really indigenous from any part of Europe. Here 

 called the Buffalo-grass. It is perennial, creeping, and admirably 

 adapted for binding sea-sand and loose soil of river-banks, also for 

 forming garden-edges, and for establishing a grass-sward on lawns 

 much subjected to traffic. Generally not liked by pasture-animals, 

 and for this very reason all the more eligible for consolidating rolling 

 coast-sand. It keeps alive in the hottest and driest regions of 

 Central Australia, where it was first introduced by the writer of this 

 work ; it endures also some frost, even the tender portions of its 

 blade, and has shown itself adapted for recently reclaimed swamp- 

 land. Now very accessible in all warm countries. The chemical 

 analysis, instituted late in spring, gave the following results : 

 Water, 80'25 ; albumen, 0*50 ; gluten, 5*44 ; starch, 0*08 ; gum, 1'60 ; 

 sugar, 1.60 ; fibre, 1O53 [F. v. Mueller and L. Rummel]. It was 

 this grass, which Mr. John C. Bell reared with so much advantage 

 for fodder on the bare rocks of the Island of Ascension ; and it was 

 there, where Australian Acacias took the lead, to establish wood- 

 vegetation and to secure permanency of drinking-water. S. subu- 

 latum (Trinius) is a closely allied grass of New Guinea and some of 

 the adjoining islands. 



Sterculia Carthag'enensis, Cavanilles. (S. Ghicka, St. Hilaire. ) 



South Brazil. This and some other South-American species 

 furnish seeds of almond-like taste. The co-ordinal Pterygota basil- 

 oxylon (F. v. M.) of Brazil is praised for its valuable wood. 



Sterculia nobilis, Smith. 



From India to China. A middle-sized spreading tree. The rather 

 large seeds can be used as chestnuts in a roasted state. 



Sterculia quadrifida, R. Brown. 



Eastern and Northern Australia. This tree might be naturalised 

 in rich and humid forest-regions within mild climes. It is the 

 "Calool" of the natives. The black seeds are of filbert-taste, like 

 those of some other Slerculice. As many as eleven of the brilliantly 





