Forage Plants of Australia. 



71 



ORDER CHENOPODIACE.E. 



KOCHIA PTKAMIDATA, BEXTH. 

 " Grey-bush." 



Flora Austr., Vol. F, p. 186. 



A DIVARICATELY-BRANCHED shrub, growing to the height of 3 or more feet. 

 The leaves are alternate, linear, obtuse, thick, and soft, and often clustered 

 in the axils. Flowers, small and solitary in the upper leaf axils. At figure I 

 is illustrated the fruiting perianth, which turns very black in drying, and 

 on this account is easily recognised from other species of the genus. The 

 upper portion within the wing is erect and pyramidal. This is surrounded 

 by an entire annular membranous wing, altogether about a quarter of an 

 inch in diameter. The whole plant is covered with a soft tomentum of 

 grayish colour, and on this account it is called " Grey Bush" by stockmen. 

 This plant occupies large tracts, and is quite a feature in some parts of 

 the country west of the Darling River in New South "Wales. It is gener- 

 ally an indication of good land where the plant is found growing, and 

 probably on this account it thrives during severe droughts. It is one of 

 the salinous plants which has made our central plains such valuable sheep 

 and cattle runs. Many of them, how r ever, are fast disappearing through too 

 close feeding, and nothing has been done, so far, either in the way of con- 

 servation or the cultivation of these valuable plants. The plant under notice 

 makes excellent forage, which herbivora of all descriptions are remarkably 

 fond of. "When left unmolested for a time it produces seed in abundance, 

 and when these are ripe they germinate readily under ordinary conditions. 

 The seed should be sown after rain in the autumn or spring months. 



Analysis of KocTiia Pyramidata, Benth. 



In the proceedings of the Eoyal Society, Xew South "Wales, 1830, p. 133, 

 Mr. AV. A. Dixon gives the following analysis of this plant : 



Oil 



Carbohydrates 

 Albuminoids . . . 

 Wcody fibre... 

 Ash. C0 



Nitrogen 



2-14 

 3263 

 19-94 



8-04 

 37-25 



10000 

 3-10 



Woody parts of plant 37 per cent. 

 Edible 63 per cent. 



100-00 



37-25 



