146 A CONTRIBUTION TO, ETC. 



colony. Batatas edulis, or the sweet potato, has been found 

 growing in a wild state on the banks of the Nepean. This plant, 

 generally called " New Zealand potato," from the fact of Captain 

 Cook's having found it in that island, is indigenous in the Malayan 

 Archipelago, and is spreading over all the warmer parts of the 

 world. It is said that this useful plant was cultivated in the south 

 of Europe before the introduction of the potato. 



(4.) Galiaceaz : Of this family, there are two species common 

 in New South Wales, one of which ( Galium GaudicTiaudi) is cer- 

 tainly indigenous. The species of Asperula (A. conferta) that 

 appears so frequently in gardens and cultivated grounds, is re- 

 garded as a native, and is identical with the plant noticed by Sir 

 T. Mitchell (see Tropical Australia, p. 360), and alluded to by Dr. 

 I\ Mueller, in his report on the plants discovered on the North 

 Australian Expedition. Galium aparine is probably an introduced 

 plant. 



(5.) Gentianacece : Of this family there are two species, viz., 

 Selcea ovata and Erythrcea Australia, which are described by Brown 

 as indigenous. These little plants appear in the early part of the 

 summer, and may be distinguished by their yellow and pink flow- 

 ers, opposite leaves, and bitter properties. The second of these 

 is a variable plant in size and appearance, and when growing in 

 salt marshes sometimes attains the height of two feet, but the 

 little Ifirt/thrcea, or centaury, which spreads over cultivated fields, 

 and seldom exceeds five or six inches, may probably be an intro- 

 duced species. In England there are said to be four wild species 

 of this genus, but they differ so little from each other in their es- 

 sential characters, that some botanists are inclined to regard them 

 as mere varieties. 



(6.) Lamiacece : Of this family there are two plants which have 

 spread very widely in this colony, viz., the little Staclii/s arvensis, 

 from which scarcely a garden or field is free ; and Marrulium 

 vulgare, or horehound, which occurs frequently in waste places. 

 Both of these plants have a place in the Pharmacopoeia, the former 

 being mentioned in connection with S. betonica, which is some- 

 times made into a tea with honey, and considered diaphoretic and 

 expectorant ; and the latter, being recommended as a pectoral for 

 colds and coughs. The white horehound is undoubtedly a useful 

 plant, and its extract is a popular remedy for coughs and asth- 



