18 Forage Plants of Australia. 



OEDEE SAPINDACE^B. 



HETERODENDRON OLE^FOLIUM, DESP. 

 " Olive-leaved Emu Bush," " Eose Bush," or " Cabbage Bush/' 



'Flora Austr., Vol. /, p. 469. 



A TALL shrub ; the young shoots being hoary or glaucous, with a minute 

 silky pubescence. Its leaves are variable, but mostly lanceolate, or narrow 

 oblong, and from 2in. to 4in. in length, leathery, and sometimes rigid. The 

 panicles are few-flowered, and shorter than the leaves, as shown in the 

 engraving. This plant is peculiar to the Murray, Darling, and Macquarie 

 [Rivers, the Grwydir Plains, Mount Brogden, and a great portion of the 

 northern and far-western plains of New South "Wales ; on the Burdeldn and 

 Bowen Rivers, in Queensland ; on the Murray, Wimmera, and Avoca Rivers, 

 in Victoria ; at Cooper's Creek, Lake Torreiis, and Minders Range, in South 

 Australia ; and at stations in North and West Australia ; and it is 

 moderately plentiful in some of those places. Its drought-enduring qualities 

 are remarkable. The hot winds of the interior and long spells of dry 

 weather seem to have little effect in checking its growth ; and during the 

 times when other herbage is scarce, it is a valuable standby for pastoralists, 

 who cut down large quantities for forage, which both cattle and sheep 

 greedily feed upon. Although the plant produces moderately plentiful seed, 

 Avhich germinates readily under ordinary conditions, thereby reproducing 

 itself to a certain extent, the young plants are of ten browsed down ; and 

 the fact of the old plants being cut down in such quantities during drought 

 time will be the means of its extermination, if nothing is done to conserve it 

 before such a step becomes practically impossible. Its seeds, as also the 

 fruits of many other plants, are eaten by emus. Hence the common name, 

 emu bush. The wood of this plant, though excessively hard, is small in 

 dimensions, but might very well be turned to some practical use such, for 

 instance, as making into tool handles, &c. Mr. Dixon, of South Australia, 

 informs me that the bark of this tree is a very good bitter which has some 

 febrifuge properties. 



At figure I is illustrated the fruit, which is composed of one or two, 

 rarely three or four, hard mdehiscent lobes. The seeds are half immersed in 

 an arillus. The skin (covering) is hard, thin, and brittle. 



The seed of this tree should be sown during the early autumn months, 

 and after rain if possible. 



There are only two species of the genus found in Australia. The species 

 H. diversifolium, F.V.M , is found principally in Queensland. 



