137 



brown colour. It is common in this district, but only growing 

 in sandy soil ; it prevails in burnt scrub lands, if rain follows 

 soon after tbe fire. I bave seen it forty miles north from 

 Point Bell, and nearly sixty miles east from Fowler's Bay ; it 

 grows sparingly at Fowler's Bay. The fruit first ripens about 

 the end of February, when the plant dies off ; young plants 

 spring again at any time after rain, so that there may be two crops 

 in a year, as it is so here with many plants. Camels eat the 

 plant." Annie F. Bichards. [Consult Trans., vol. iii., p. 171.] 



SoLANUM SIMILE, F. V. M. — " The native name is ' quena.* 

 This shrub grows to a height of from two to four feet, it likes 

 sand, and springs up abundantly on burnt ground, if rain falls 

 shortly after the fire. I saw the ground thickly covered with 

 young plants, all in flower and fruit, a week or two ago (about 

 the middle of February), at a spot about 20 miles up the coast 

 from here. These had appeared after a very heavy thunder- 

 storm, which visited us in N^ovember last. The blacks are very 

 fond of the fruit, but do not eat it until it has fallen to the 

 ground ; both black and white men agree that to eat many will 

 cause sickness, it is the same with the 'walga.' The fruit 

 causes a hot burning taste in the mouth, but its scent reminds 

 me of that of strawberries. Sheep eat the plant." — Annie F. 

 JRicliards. 



The Chaeacteristic YEaETATiox about Feaxklix Haeboue 

 observed, May 29 — June 3, and recorded by Frof. B. Tate. 



I. That of the Littoral tract embracing (1) The marine 

 swamps, here flourish mangrove, Salicornia arhuscula, to four 

 feet high, and S. australis. (2) The sand dunes, the chief 

 shrub is an Aster, possibly A. axillaris, but it was not seen in 

 flower. 



II. That of the Pliocene Drift. This chiefly consists of 

 mallee, with an undergrowth of Asters, Eriostemon, &c. 

 Kearer to the hills, the mallee is not so frequent, and gives 

 place to sandalwood {Myoporum deserti) and Acacia liomalo- 

 pliylla, with undershrubs of Beyeria opaca, Bliagodia paraholica, 

 Aster conoceplialus, A. decurrens, Alyxia huxifolia, Fremopliila 

 Browni, Bimelea microcepliala, among which climbs Cassytha 

 onelantha. Where the brush-wood is not so dense there appear 

 tussocks of Xerotes effusa, and Lepidosperma sp. Callitris 

 occurs with a sandy soil. 



III. That of the Eanges. The slopes of the hills, composed 

 of mica slate, are timbered with fine gums and clothed with 

 short herbage ; the chief brushwood is Bursaria spinosa. 

 The chief herbaceous plants observed were Hiliscus Wrayce, 

 Ihvsera Menziesii, Lagenopliora Huegelii, Hyjjoxis glahella^ 

 Wurmhsea dioica, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Cheilantlies tenuifolia 



