1344 AVS7 'A'. I L.I -S'A / ILL US TRA TED. 



extent of Queensland, through not less than eighteen degrees of latitude, and 

 its approach within ten degrees to the equator, secures for it a vastly developed tropical 

 flora, particularly on the eastern slope of the ranges and along the littoral tracts ; while 

 the western fall of the country trends gradually to the widely level interior with gener- 

 ally but scanty rain-fall, and with a participation in an inland flora which occupies in its 

 general similarity almost two-thirds of our whole Continent. A vegetation stretching from 

 sub-tropical to almost equinoctial parallels must, even through the humid eastern tracts, 

 show much dissimilarity ; yet many prominent types in this extensive vegetation pass 

 through all, or nearly all, latitudes of Queensland : for instance, some of the almost 

 endemic Flindersia-trees, monumental also among plants for preserving the name of a 

 great naval explorer ; farther the Helicia-trees, which genus, however, extends northward 

 to the Philippine Islands, and even to Japan ; the Albizzia-trees, with large leaflets, one 

 species (A. laillantii), among about seven thousand Lcgniuinoscc unique in numerous 

 fruitlets ; and the Brassaia-tree, with mighty crimson inflorescence and grand foliage. 

 Eucalyptus citriodora and E. Staigcrianct, offer the oil of their delightfully fragrant foliage 

 as a vehicle for the distillation of such precious scents as are not readily fixed. In its 

 gigantic pods the Entada presents seeds so large as to serve for turnery articles. Indig- 

 enous and peculiar Citrus-trees, up to half a hundred feet high, extend the dominion 

 of the Hesperides far south into Queensland. Wondrous for mutual adaptation is the 

 nesting of ants in the root-stocks of the large Hydnophytum and Myrmecodia Bushes, 

 occurring, however, only far north, and demonstratively a provision of Nature almost 

 mutually as necessary as the symbiosis of a minute peculiar Alg on our floating Azolla. 

 Ficus colossca, with stems of monstrous width and enormous abutments, is the " Abbey- 

 tree " of these regions. The Lagunaria Patcrsoni reaches here a height of seventy feet, 

 and a stem diameter of fifteen feet at a yard from the ground. 



For variety of phytographic interest, and for intrinsic beauty of its own, we have a 

 real gem among the endless Queensland floral treasures in a Rhododendron (R. Loc/ia-} 

 on the very culmination rocks of the Bellenden Ker Mountains, accompanied and there 

 only by a magnificent Vaccinium (Agapctes Mcinu), and encircled by a belt of Rush- 

 Lily {Hclmholtzid). Rhododendron occupies here the most southern position in extreme 

 isolation, whereby this genus of horticultural pride establishes some intimate relation of 

 the mountain Flora of Queensland with that of the Himalayas, Siberia, the European 

 Alps, and others of the cool and even coldest portions of the Northern Hemisphere ; but 

 Oaks, Roses, and many other plants of Rhododendron regions, have been searched for 

 here in vain. Argophyllum and Balanops connect here the vegetation with that of New 

 Caledonia, and a true crimson-flowered Embothrinm even with that of South-western 

 America. As regards Pitcher-plants of Asiatic type, namely, Nepenthes, two reach North- 

 eastern Australia. Aldrovanda with its vesicular leaves is one of the rarest of aquatics. 



One of the most magnificent plants of the jungles of North-eastern Australia is the 

 Freycinetia insignis, palm-like but somewhat climbing in habit, and producing flowers 

 with large rosy bracts. So far as we are hitherto aware, epiphytal Orchids are by no 

 means so numerous in species, or so showy in flowers, as might have been expected, 

 considering that all the requirements for their copious and luxurious development are 

 afforded ; nevertheless we know now about seventy well-marked Epiphytes of this 



