108 



KNOWLEDGE 



[April 1, 1890. 



sion. It is strange how different trees influence each 

 other in degree of growtli when massed together. A slow- 

 growing palm had been developed in half the usual time 

 by the atti-action of loftier palms and tree ferns. 



Many interesting cycadaceous plants were grouped m a 

 separate bed. Of this order the macrozamia, of New 

 South Wales, supplies an imdoubted link, although degene- 

 rate with the paheontological remains £i-om tlie Purbeck 

 beds. The leaves grow almost from the ground without a 

 trunk, like so many fronds, and are simply pumate ; but I 

 saw a rare species with bifurcating pinna?. The large date 

 palm (Pliirnix) was in fruit, with tlie cocoa-nut [Vucus 

 fli'.fiiom), and a magnificent specimen of Juhim sjiccUihiUx 

 from Chili. The dwarf fan palm {ClnniKfmjix liuiiiilix) 

 looked very insignificant by the side of so many giants 

 from Brazil, China, .Jamaica, the East Indies, Mauritius, 

 New Caledonia, and East Asia. A Queensland palm, ( 'alamus 

 Auatriilis, \s called the "lawyer tree," because the long, 

 thorny appendages lurking in the bush tear the traveller's 

 flesh ; and if once they hook on, are difficult to detach. 

 The distribution of palms in Australasia is irregular. In 

 North Queensland, of course, the greater number are 

 found, being nearer to the tropics. Cabbage-tree creek, in 

 Victoria, is the only habitat for palms in tliat colony, and 

 it is curious to find this isolated patch severed from all 

 relations. New South Wales, with 800 miles of coastline, 

 has but four species. New Zealand has, I believe, but 

 two palms, including the Areca. notwitlistandmg the hot 

 climate of the north island. Lord Howe's Island, oddly 

 enough, has four indigenous and peculiar species, and 

 Norfolk Island boasts of two. In New Gumea, I suspect, 

 palms and many plants remain to be discovered. The 

 palmfe of the world appear to thrive in the Sydney 

 gardens, but I saw none more beautiful for horticultural 

 purposes than the glaucous-leaved variety of the Phcenix, 

 one of the treasures of the collection. Then I passed on 

 to the screw-pine (I'liwlinntf:), with groves of banana, 

 plantain, gaudy-flowered strelitzia, and the far-famed 

 traveller's tree, which, to the unaccustomed eye, is singu- 

 larly like a banana ; it has a refreshing fluid contained in 

 the stem. Typical bromeliacea; form an undergrowth of 

 ugly crowns ; the opuntia, with great yellow flowers, runs 

 riot where it will. 



To those who know only the British herbaceous weeds of 

 the Spurge tribe, the size and great variation in the 

 Euph(iiiiiacc(C is wonderful. The croton and poinsettia, 

 already mentioned, belong to the order. The cactus-like 

 J'Aipliorhin r/nnuliconm is widely different from the hand- 

 some droopmg tree, E.rM-aria jiarvi/olin (gutta-percha). 

 Nearly all have poisonous juices, and the South Sea 

 islanders steep their spears and arrows in some fatal plant 

 of the order ; even the tapioca species is deadly until the 

 virulent juices have been extracted. It is dangerous to 

 touch unknown plants in a tropical garden. The great 

 nettle tree {Lnpurtcn ijinaa) produces violent irritation, ex- 

 ceedingly painful for many hours. I have heard that tlie 

 bark of the same tree affords an antidote, but had no 

 inclination to test the truth of the assertion. The false 

 pepper tree (Srhinus woUf), with finely-cut foliage and 

 coral berries, has an exceedingly pungent taste, quickly 

 bringing tears to the eyes. I saw a species of rhus which 

 it is dangerous for many persons to approach. Mr. Moore 

 liimself had a narrow escape, some years ago, with this 

 plant. After an examination of the leaves, he madvertently 

 rubbed his eyes. Next day his features were almost 

 obliterated by intense swelling, which gradually passed 

 down the body to the extremities ; life, for a long time, 

 was in jeopardy, and a photograph, taken by an officer of 

 the ship when the malady was at its worst, shows the 



swollen face with simply a large slit for a mouth ; no eyes 

 or nose to be seen. The case was reported in the Lnmrt 

 at the time, and the dangerous properties of the plant are 

 now fully recognised. I'^ven contact is not always neces- 

 sary to produce the \mpleasant symptoms, as many have 

 found to their cost. 



That solid grass (Socr/inniin ii/licin<iruw), more connnonly 

 Imown as the sugar caue, finds a place in the gardens, 

 together with a plant much cultivated in Australia for its 

 sweet i^roperties, Sunjimm sticclKUdtuin, wliich, with im- 

 proved crushing machinery may yet be extensively used in 

 the sugar industry. At present I think cattle are fed on 

 what is grown. 



The Acacia order is largely represented by the native 

 wattles, and going farther afield, by the minute-leaved 

 Peruvian inga, with feathery crimson flowers — a kindred 

 species has tufts of white flowers like bog-cotton, which 

 expand only at night. English oaks are scattered here 

 and there, but nearly all grow pipe-stemmed. Possibly 

 imtil they learn to shed the leaves and bark at the right 

 season, and adapt the foliage to the changed influences of 

 hght, the timber will never grow round. After the Nor- 

 folk Island pine the most perfect tree in the garden is 

 the (iri'i-illcd iiihuxtti, a proteaceous species, with leaves 

 wliich reminded me of a gardener's hybrid in the south- 

 west of England — the oak-leaved beech. The next is a 

 coniferous plant from Mexico, known as "Montezuma's 

 tree," from the fact that under one of them that unfortu- 

 nate potentate signed his aljdieation. It has close, finely- 

 cut pinnie, almost like the inga leaves. 



There are no mangrove swamps near the Botanic Gar- 

 dens, but a few miles up the Parramatta they can be seen, 

 islets in mid-stream, flooded and inaccessible. The beau- 

 tiful white-faced heron, a medium-sized bird with blue 

 feathers and red legs, breeds here in perfect safety, for 

 approach is difficult. 



The climbing rata of New Zealand, one of the most 

 brUliant flowers of those islands, grows in an uncertain 

 manner at Sydney. The slender stem is rooted to the 

 ground, but frequently the seeds lurk in cre^•ices of the 

 supporting tree, develojjiug a fresh plant, and finally 

 choking the accommodating host ; it is not, however, a 

 parasite. 



The epiphyte ferns, as opposed to true parasites, are 

 worthy of notice, both for curious structure and gigantic 

 size ; they hang to the trimks of trees like green- 

 brown baskets. Two kinds are natives of Australia : 

 the stag-horn {I'lKti/rcn'unt i/iaiidr) 1 have seen, iiriiiliim/ 

 (I ion; the elkliorn (/'. ulicorne) is much smaller in 

 bulk. 



In another direction, fresh collections of ornamental 

 shrubs border the paths : a justicia with handsome 

 labiate-looldng clusters of mottled flowers ; scarlet coral 

 trees (Kri/tlirinti) ; gardenia ; and the fragrant tabernse- 

 montana of Ceylon, having irregular corollas with waxy 

 white flowers. There were also the native Christmas tree, 

 and flaming stereuha, from Queensland. An order we 

 in England know little about, except from the evergreen 

 ivy, is largely distributed in the islands of the Southern 

 Ocean — the Araliacese. It includes widely different genera 

 such as the panax, having prolonged, coriaceous leaves, 

 like the defensive weapon of a sword-fish, and the aralia 

 with deeply cut, digitate foliage, .similar to a horse- 

 chestnut. It is a great advantage to find beneath each 

 plant a label clearly inscribed with scientific name, 

 authority, order, habitat, and local name ; all of which, 

 if Botanic Gardens are to be of educational value, are 

 absolutely necessary. A space is set apart for a typical 

 collection of plants, illustrative of Exogenous and Endo- 



