46 Forage Plants of Australia. 



ORDER PHYTOLACCACE.E. 



CODONOCARPUS COTINIFOLIUS, F.v.M. 



" Horseradish Tree." 



Flora Austr., Vol. F, p. MS. 



A SLENDER tree sometimes attaining a height of 30 ft., hut frequently it is 

 much smaller. The leaves are somewhat variable, but mostly ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, of a pale green or glaucous colour, and from 1 inch to 2 inches in 

 length. This tree produces its flowers in an irregular way. Sometimes they 

 are dioecious that is, the sexes are borne on separate trees. At other times 

 they are monoacious, when the sexes are borne on separate branches of the 

 same tree. The female flowers are about ^ of an inch in diameter. The 

 males are rather smaller, and contain from 15 to 20 stamens. The fruits are 

 nearly obovoid, depressed in the centre, and scarcely half an inch in diameter. 

 They are arranged on long stalks, as shown in the engraving. The fruit 

 carpels are rather numerous 20 to 30, or rather more, to each fruit. This 

 tree is found principally in the arid interior of North Australia, South 

 Australia, "West Australia, Victoria, and on the sand hills near the Lachlan 

 and Darling Rivers, and farther to the westward in New South Wales, and 

 in some situations it is moderately plentiful. Its drought-enduring qualities 

 are remarkable, and, from its peculiar glaucous colour, the tree may easily be 

 recognised among the surrounding vegetation, even during the driest of seasons. 

 It is only cut down for stock during the severest of droughts, but the younger 

 plants are browsed upon by cattle and sheep at almost all seasons, even if other 

 feed is plentiful. Both the bark and leaves of this tree possess a pungent 

 taste rather more pronounced than our common watercress, and on this 

 account stockmen in the interior have christened it the " horseradish tree." 

 This flavour we can detect in old dried specimens that have been a long time 

 in our possession. There is no doubt but that cattle are fond of brow r sing 

 on the leaves of this tree on account of their pungency. It probably acts as 

 a kind of sauce to other herbs and grasses. The wood is soft and spongy, and 

 of a light colour, and, so far as we have heard, it has never been put to any 

 economic use. There are only five genera and about eleven species arranged 

 under the order Pliytolaccacece in Australia, and they appear to be all 

 endemic. The genus Phytolacca, from whence the order takes its name, is 

 an American one. P. octandra (commonly known as the "ink- weed") has 

 become quite acclimatised in some parts of Australia ; and in many places it 

 is a positive pest and difficult to get rid of. Its free seeding qualities have 

 rendered it somewhat proof against extermination. A beautiful variegated 

 form of this plant may be seen growing in Hyde Park, Sydney, and we have 

 been informed that there is only another plant of its kind in existence. The 

 seeds of this tree should be sown in the early autumn months. 



