82 Forage Plants of Australia. 



OKDEB, CHENOPODIACE.E. 



SCLEROL^SNA DIACANTHA, BENTH. 

 " Two-Spined Saltbush." 



Flora Austr., Vol. F, p. 194 



A DIFFUSE or prostrate undershrub, rarely exceeding 1 foot in height, and 

 clothed with a brown or white tomentuin. The leaves are linear, soft, rather 

 thick, and about \ an inch long. The flowers are very small and solitary in the 

 leaf axils. Figure 1 is an enlarged drawing of the fruiting perianth, which 

 is hard, and covered with a cottony wool, slightly compressed at the top, and 

 about iV of an inch long ; the two opposite dorsal spines diverging, nearly 

 equal, and varying from -% to of an inch in length. This plant is found 

 in the arid interiors of all the Australian Colonies, but, as far as we can make 

 out, it is not very plentiful anywhere. It is one of the famous salinous 

 plants which are fast disappearing from the central plains of this continent 

 through overstocking, and that pest the rabbit ; nothing so far having been 

 done either in the way of cultivation or systematic conservation. This, 

 however, will have to be undertaken before very long if the Colony intends 

 to continue producing high-class wool. The shrub under notice makes 

 excellent forage for stock of all kinds, sheep being particularly fond of it, 

 and they will often crop it down so close to the ground that it gets little 

 chance to produce seed, which is its only natural means of reproduction, 

 and, in consequence, we may thus account for its not being plentiful. The 

 drought- enduring qualities of this plant are remarkable, for it seems 

 to be neither affected by the hot winds that blow periodically over the 

 arid plains in summer, nor the longest spell of dry weather. If left un- 

 molested for a time, it will produce a great amount of seed, which, when 

 ripe, will germinate readily under ordinary conditions. 



There are six species of the genus Sclerolcena found in the interior of 

 this continent, and all are remarkable for their drought-enduring qualities. 

 With the exception of one species ($. bicornis), they are excellent forage 

 plants. The two rigid divaricate dorsal spines of S. Ucornis are sometimes 

 - of an inch in length, and when sheep browse upon the plant, especially when 

 ;n seed, these spines often cause some trouble to their salivary glands. This 

 plant has been sent to me for identification, with notes to the effect that it 

 was no good in pasture, " on account of the spiny nature of its seeds." 



