BLUE MOUNTAINS. 179 



shrub occurs on the Toongabbie creek, but I have not heard of 

 any injury arising from it in this neighbourhood. It would be 

 well, however, if Duboisia, as well as the native indigo, and also 

 the corms of the Arum orixense were subjected to chemical 

 analysis, as persons in different parts of the colony regard them 

 with suspicion. In addition to the trees of the Kurrajong which 

 belong for the most part to the myrtaceous family, I may in- 

 stance one of the laurel family (Tetranthera dealbata) , and Alphi- 

 tonia excelsa, an elegant tree, with leaves that are nearly white 

 on the under surface. I find that the tree called "Kurrajong" 

 (Stercvlia diversifolia) in the low country, is by no means common 

 in that district, and that the trees whose bark is still used by the 

 settlers for tying up things, are Hibiscus Jieterophylla, and Sponia, 

 the former of which is by far the better of the two. 



In the present communication I have referred but little to the 

 Epacris family, as I noticed so few in flower. On various parts 

 of the Blue Mountains, however, the following genera have been 

 recognised, viz., JZpacris, Styphelia, (of which one very pretty 

 species does not occur in the low country), Lysinema, Melichrus, 

 Leucopogon, Lissantlie (viz., L. sapida and L. daplinoides.) Ponceletia 

 (a rare shrub, found near King's Table Land, adhering to rocks 

 perpetually damp, and also in similar situations nearer Sydney), 

 Monoioca (a shrub larger than any of those mentioned, found not 

 only on the mountains, but also at Manly Beach, and other places 

 near the coast), Dracophyllum secundum (a beautiful plant, with 

 bell -like drooping white flowers, which also occurs on Mr. 

 Statham's Creek, near Parramatta), and Acrotriche divaricata. 

 The last mentioned shrub occurs plentifully in a gully near the 

 Cut Rock, and also in the neighbourhood of Parramatta. This 

 genus was appropriately named by Brown in reference to the 

 bearded tips of the corolla's segments. The Epacris family is, 

 on many accounts, an interesting one, principally however, 

 because it is almost peculiar to Australasia, and occupies the 

 same place in the vegetable kingdom here, that heathworts do at 

 the Cape of Grood Hope. The chief difference between the two 

 families is in the structure of the anther, that of Epacrids being 

 one-celled with a single receptacle of pollen, and that of Heath- 

 worts being two-celled, the cells hard and dry, separating either 

 at the apex or base, All the berries of the Epacris family are 



