134 A CONTRIBUTION TO, ETC. 



has frequently seen it on the Cowpasture and Nepean Elvers, and 

 attaining a much greater height than that mentioned by Mitchell. 

 Xerotes leucocepliala (a rush-like plant, with dense woolly heads of 

 flowers) was also noticed by Mitchell, as it grew in the light dry 

 sand. This is similar to one of my young friend's specimens. 

 The prostrate plant of the Lobelia family is, Pratia Cimninghami. 

 The common forms of Lobelia gracilis, L. dentata, L. alata (with 

 blue flowers), L. purpurascens and L. inundata (with white or 

 pinkish flowers), must be familiar to most people who notice the 

 bush flowers near Sydney. The only Epacrid of the collection is a 

 Lsucopogon a small heath-like shrub, with minute flowers bearded 

 in the segments of the corolla. This is L. cuspidatus, a species 

 similar to some of those in the county of Cumberland, but appa- 

 rently not so large as L. Eichei and L. lanceolatus. The ferns of 

 the collection are only Asplenmm nidus and Davallia pyxidata, 

 both of which are well known to fern gatherers ; and the grasses, 

 which in all probability are far more interesting to squatters, are 

 limited to three species Andropogon intcrmedius, Holcus plumosus, 

 and Aristida calycina. A good collection of the native grasses, 

 from the Dawsou and the Darling Downs, would be very accept- 

 able. They are, no doubt, more numerous than many persons 

 imagine, and some of them might be improved by cultivation. I 

 find that Sir T. Mitchell, in his various expeditions, collected 

 specimens of about thirty species ; but this gives a very inade- 

 quate idea of the numbers that may exist in any given area, for 

 in the Parramatta district alone, no less than forty species of 

 native grasses have been reckoned. The Panicum Icemnode of 

 Mitchell (probably Brown's P. decompositum) , has been cultivated 

 by Mr. Josephson, and favourably noticed by the Acclimatisation 

 Society ; and JBromus Australia, which has been compared with 

 the squarrose Brome grass of Europe, is not only a fine grass for 

 cattle, but from some remarks which have lately been published 

 in the colonial papers, it appears that it has been cultivated and 

 highly valued by scientific persons on the continent of Europe. 

 Sir T. Mitchell informs us that he collected near the Darling, 

 twenty-five different kinds of grass, only six of which grew on the 

 alluvial bank of the river. It appears, therefore, that we- are by 

 no means so deficient in native grasses as many suppose, and 

 there is a probability that as our knowledge of their properties is 



