Forage Plants of Australia. 17 



ORDER SAPINDACEJE. 



ATALAYA HEMIGLAUCA, F.v.M. 



" White wood," or {; Cattle Bush." 



Flora Austr., Vol. 7, p. 463. 



A TALL shrub or small tree with pinnate leaves, which are more or less 

 glaucous ; but the leaves are very variable, both in their length and breadth, 

 on different specimens, young plants usually producing leaves as large again 

 as older trees, often eight inches in length. The flowers are produced in 

 rather dense panicles, and are about half an inch across. These are suc- 

 ceeded by samaras (winged fruits) as shown in the left-hand side of the 

 engraving. At figure 1 is illustrated the samara (winged fruit), which is 

 from one to one and a half inches long, including the membranous wing. 



This tree is found principally on the Liverpool Plains, the Bowen, Castle- 

 reagh, and Darling Rivers in Xew South Wales, Cooper's Creek in South 

 Australia, in several of the coastal districts of Queensland, and in Northern 

 Australia, and is only moderately plentiful at some of the stations named, as 

 during the late dry years it has been a great stand-by to pastoralists in the 

 central portions of the continent, who have cut large quantities down for forage 

 for their stock. Both cattle and sheep eat the leaves of this tree with avidity, 

 and they seem to thrive on it. The drought enduring qualities of the tree are 

 remarkable, and it might profitably be cultivated on our central plains, both 

 tor the f urage it would supply during the drought time, and the timber it would 

 yield, besides affording capital shade from the glare of the tropical sun. 

 The timber of this tree is of a yellowish colour, very hard, and close grained. 

 Though not of great dimensions, still it might be used for some industrial 

 purpose, such, for instance, as making into tool handles and other turnery 

 work. 



W T hen left unmolested for a time the tree produces seed in abundance, 

 and the seeds germinate readily under ordinary conditions. They should be 

 sown during the early autumn months. The species under cultivation in 

 the coastal districts makes about eighteen inches of growth a year. 



