QUEENSLAND. 129 



near Sydney, are merely shrubs (viz., G. punicea, G. sericea, and 

 G. linearis), with purple and white flowers, not very ornamental ; 

 but on the Bichmond Eiver, the silky oak ( G. i ohmta) is a very 

 fine tree, sometimes attaining the height of 70 feet, and affording 

 a suitable wood for the staves of casks, whilst the bright orange 

 colour of its flowers gives it a very showy appearance. This and 

 some other species of Grevillea, have been cultivated with suc- 

 cess ; but the smaller and more delicate species, such as G. Baueri 

 and others, seem rather impatient under the care of the gardener, 

 and do not display the same beauty which is so attractive in their 

 native scrubs. Xijlomelum pyriforme, " the wooden pear," oc- 

 curs on the Darling Downs, and so also does Gonospermum ellip- 

 ticum, a herbaceous plant with dull white flowers. Other Pro- 

 teaceous plants, not very far from the same locality, are enum- 

 erated in Sir Thomas Mitchell's Tropical Australia ; but it has 

 been justly remarked that "from the parallel of the mass, the 

 order diminishes in both directions, but the diminution towards 

 the north appears to be more rapid on the East, than on the West 

 Coast." The leguminous plants forwarded to me, with the excep- 

 tion of Canavallia oltusifolia and Vigna vexillata, and some species 

 of Acacia, do not occur near Sydney. The Canavallia is a long 

 trailing plant with purple flowers and large pods, and must be 

 familiar to those who are in the habit of amusing themselves on 

 the rocks at Manly Beach. The Vigna is another twiner of a 

 similar character, and nearly allied to the kidney bean. It seems 

 to have a very extensive range, as it has been gathered in many 

 places between the Blue Mountains and the northern parts of 

 Australia, being identical with the species found in tropical Asia, 

 Africa, and America. Mr. Eoss mentions the occurrence of the 

 coral tree (jBryihrina vespertilio) , with leaves resembling a 

 bat's wing extended. Sir T. Mitchell found this tree at the base 

 of Mount P. P. King, and particularly observed the pod, which 

 contains two peas of a bright scarlet colour, about the shape and 

 size of a French bean. The natives use the trunk of this tree for 

 various purposes, but it seldom attains more than a foot in diam- 

 eter. The " Bat's Wing coral tree" is now cultivated in the 

 neighbourhood of Sydney. Another leguminous tree which at- 

 tracted Mr. Boss's attention was Eauhinia Carronii. The leaves 

 of the genus are remarkable, the leaflets being either two distinct 



B 



