180 POPULAR GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



of water ; for there we meet with scarcely any but familiar 

 flowers, such as the Water-Plantain (Alisma) y Sedges (Ca- 

 rex), Mint (Mentha), Arrow-grass (Triglockin), Club-rush 

 (Scirpus), etc.; and in the wide plains of Bathurst and 

 Macquarrie the number of European plants gives the country 

 the aspect of our Colder Temperate Zone. 



The general appearance of the country is hilly, but not 

 mountainous, to the north of 33 latitude, and to the south 

 of this latitude it is low and even. The hills are varied 

 with woods and lawns ; the trees nowhere seem to grow 

 very close together, the largest trees standing at a dis- 

 tance of not less than thirteen yards asunder. In the bays 

 the shores are covered with Mangroves, which reach about 

 a mile inland, on soil which is constantly overflowed by the 

 spring-tides. In some parts there are bogs covered with 

 thick grass, and there is plenty of underwood in the valleys. 



The interior of Australia is sometimes spoken of as almost 

 devoid of water, yet Captain Cook (from whom the above 

 outline of the landscape is taken) spoke of the country 

 generally as abounding in springs and brooks of fresh 

 water, though not possessing any rivers of considerable 

 size. He also speaks of finding three different kinds of 

 Palms in Australia, and the Fig-tree. 



