68 Forage Plants of Australia. 



ORDER CHENOPODIACEJE. 



ENCHYI^ENA TOMENTOSA, E BE. 

 " Barrier Saltbush." 



Flora Austr., Vol. V,p. 181. 



A PBOCUMBETTT or divaricately -branched undershrub, sometimes with ascend- 

 ing slightly-branched stems under 6 inches long, at others much-branched and 

 attaining several feet. The branches hoary, or silvery, with a close or woolly 

 tomentum rarely glabrous, or nearly so. Leaves linear, entire, and rarely above 

 ^ an inch long. Flowers all axillary, solitary and sessile, and usually distant, 

 with one or two minute bracts at the base. At figure 1 is illustrated a fruiting 

 branch, with the fruiting perianths in the upper leaf axils. At figure 2 is 

 illustrated an enlarged drawing of a fruiting perianth. AVhen ripe they are 

 depressed, globular in shape, red or yellow, and succulent, over iV of an inch, 

 but scarcely -& of an inch in diameter. The fruits turn black in a few hours after 

 being gathered. This plant is found growing in the arid interiors of Queens- 

 land, New South Wales, Yictoria, South Australia, and West Australia, and 

 in some situations it is fairly plentiful, but this may be accounted for by its 

 free seeding qualities, together with the easy germination of its seeds. A 

 plant that I have had under cultivation for some years produces seed nearly 

 all the year round, but more abundantly during the summer months. I 

 have often seen the ground under this shrub thickly strewn with its succulent 

 fruits. The drought-enduring qualities of this shrub are remarkable, and it 

 flourishes in the driest and poorest of soils, even during the hot summer 

 months. It is an excellent forage plant for all herbivora, sheep being parti- 

 cularly fond of it, and its presence in pastures is always of advantage. 

 During long spells of dry weather, however, balls of cotton-like substance 

 form on this plant somewhat similar to those that are seen on the cotton 

 bush and a few other allied plants. During the last drought I saw several 

 specimens that were much subject to these cottony or woolly galls, and also 

 a monstrosity, which is generally believed to be caused by some insect, as 

 small grubs may sometimes be seen in the middle of them. Mr. Bentham, 

 speaking of these adventitious growths in the "Flora Australiensis," vol. V., 

 p. 182, says : " Besides the woolly globular galls to which this species is liable 

 (like those of Kochia villosa and other Chenopodiacese) it is subject to a 

 monstrosity, apparently caused also by an insect, by which the pericarp 

 becomes densely enveloped in woolly intricate hairs proceeding from near the 

 base and bursting through the apex of the perianth ; whilst the ovary is 

 abortive, and I have sometimes found its place occupied by a small grub." 



When feed becomes scarce in very protracted droughts, sheep feed 

 greedily on this shrub, which, when covered with these adventitious growths, 

 proves most indigestible, and is often the cause of many of them dying. 

 The seeds of this plant should be sown during the early autumn months, 

 after rainfall if possible. 



