OENAMENTAL SHRTJBS, ETC. 207 



Biver. The flowers and fruit are small, and the tree seldom 

 exceeds eight or nine feet. T. laurina, so-called from the circum- 

 stance of the leaves being nerved like some species of Laurel, is 

 a pretty little tree of twenty feet or more, although on our creeks, 

 it is rather a shrub attaining only a few feet in height. 



(2) The ornamental shrubs of the district are more numerous 

 than the preceding, and contain species which have been success- 

 fully cultivated in Europe. Amongst the Proteacese, Telopea 

 speciosissima, " the Waratah or Native Tulip," claims the first 

 notice on account of its showy crimson flowers, which on the 

 banks of our creeks, or amidst the wild rocks of our gullies, are 

 conspicuous and beautiful objects. Amongst all our indigenous 

 shrubs, this is generally the most admired, and certainly it is 

 remarkable not only for the brilliancy of its involucre, its cylin- 

 drical follicle and winged seeds, but for the numerous florets 

 which form its centre, as if it were a composite flower. With 

 the exception of this species, I scarcely think that we have in the 

 Parramatta district another Proteaceous shrub which would 

 interest the horticulturist. It is true there are species, of 

 Grevillea, Persoonia, and Lomatia, which present many points of 

 interest to the systematic botanist, but none of them can be 

 strictly termed ornamental. The whole order, however, is a re- 

 markable one. The varying forms of the flowers and seed vessels, 

 the rigid texture of the leaves, and the irregular tubular calyxes^ 

 distinguish the Proteacecs from all other orders, and render it 

 peculiarly interesting to strangers in Australia. Some of the 

 prettiest shrubs belong to the Rutaceous order, amongst which 

 "the Native Rose" (Boronia serrulata), and other species of the 

 same genus (B. pinnata, and B. ledifolia, var. triphylla) are very 

 abundant in the spring of the year. Being of a bright pink 

 colour, and having a strong but not disagreeable odour, they can- 

 not fail to attract notice. Eriostemon salicifolius is also another 

 shrub with delicate pink flowers, and worthy of a place in any 

 garden. The species of Zieria are not very conspicuous, but two 

 species of Phelaliwn (P. Billardieri and P. correifolium) deserve 

 notice, the former on account of its pretty white flowers and the 

 silvery under-surface of the leaves, and the latter as being a 

 species limited in its range. Amongst the leguminous plants, 

 some species of Podolobium, Gompkolobium, Bossi&a, and Pultencea, 



