24 Forage Plants of Australia. 



ORDER LEGUMINOS/E. 



SWAINSONA OBOB01DES, F. v. M. 



" Orobus like Swainsona." 



Flora Austr., Vol. 71, p. 222. 



A SMALL perennial plant rarely exceeding 8 inches in height. The leaves are 

 compound ; the leaflets usually from three to seven, and lanceolate or linear 

 in shape ; the terminal one often above 1 inch long, the lateral ones smaller. 

 The flowers are small, usually a few in a very short raceme on a firm stalk, 

 shortly exceeding the leaves, as shown in the engraving. At figure 1 are 

 illustrated two seed pods, each one of which is membranous, inflated, shortly 

 hairy, and about % an inch long. This plant is found near Warwick, in 

 Queensland, and generally in the arid interior of New South Wales, and 

 in some places in the latter colony it is fairly plentiful. The drought- 

 enduring qualities of this plant are remarkable ; and during a very dry 

 season it affords a tender herbage, of which sheep are very fond, although it 

 is not advisable to allow animals to browse too freely on any plants of this 

 order (LeguminuscB), especially when in a green state, as they are liable to 

 " blow " both cattle and sheep. This is caused during the process of diges- 

 tion, when volumes of gas are generated, which causes an abnormal distentioii 

 of the stomach, thus preventing the lungs working freely ; and, of course, 

 it often kills the animals. Then the plant is sometimes put down as a 

 poisonous one. The seeds are best sown in spring when the ground is fairly 

 moist. Under these circumstances they are not long in germinating. 



