BERBIMA AND MITTAGONG. 103 



IE. microphytta, IE. riparia, IE. onosmcefolia, IE. nivalis, and L. 

 microphyllus, L. virgatus, and L. ericoides. All these shrubs are 

 very pretty, and they form a pleasing relief to the rigid proteaceae 

 with which they are occasionally associated. The proteaceous 

 shrubs belong principally to the genera of Grevillea, IBanksia, 

 Persoonia, Lomatia, Hakea, and Petrophila, of which I noticed at 

 least eleven species, {Grevillea Baueri, Banksia Australia, IB. 

 spinulosa, Persoonia virgata, P. lucida, P. prostrata, Lomatia 

 salaifolia, L. ilicifolia, Hakea microcarpa, H. dactyloides and 

 PetropJiila pedunculata) . The most ornamental of these is the 

 little Grevillea which grows close to the town. The leguminous 

 shrubs and trees naturally divide themselves into the Mimosse 

 and the Papilionacea?. 



Before I enumerate any of the species, I may mention that the 

 plants supposed to be the most injurious to sheep belong to the 

 Leguminosse, but, with the exception of Indigofera Australis, or 

 the native indigo, I did not see any plant of the order which I 

 could look upon as deleterious. And even with respect to that, I 

 am inclined to think that by the term "indigo" many of our 

 squatters mean Swainsona ; for Dr. Cox and Mr. Russell have 

 recently favoured me with specimens of S. coronillcefolia from the 

 Macintyre, which they assure me is called " indigo," and is re- 

 garded as a decided poison to sheep or cattle. It is a pretty 

 plant and cultivated in gardens, and is perfectly distinct from the 

 poisonous shrub Gastrololium grandiflorum from the Flinders, a 

 species very similar to one in Western Australia which caused 

 such havoc amongst the sheep some few years ago. 



Of the Mimosese, I noticed six species of Acacia (A. multinervia, 

 A. decurrens, A. falciformis, A. oleifolia, A. vomerifbrmis, and A. 

 umbrosa) ; but only one of these attains any size, the rest being 

 mere shrubs or small trees. The Papilionacese are represented 

 by species of Pultencea, Kennedia, Bossi&a, Mirbelia, Daviesia, 

 Dillwynia, and Oxylolium, (fultencea altissima, P. elliptica, Ken- 

 nedia prostrata, Bossitfafoliosa, Mirbelia grandiflora, Daviesia lati- 

 folia, D. mimosoides, Dillwynia florilunda, D. parviflora, and Oxy- 

 lobium arborescens) . Kennedia prostrata has pretty scarlet flowers, 

 and is worthy of cultivation. It occurs near the sea-coast, as well 

 as in the more elevated parts of the colony, and it was one of the 

 earliest papilionaceous flowers introduced into England from 



