443 



4. Podocarpus Drouyniana, 



. F. V. MuelL, Fragm. IV, 86 t., 31. 



This in our opinion may be the Western or robust form of P. spinulosa, the 

 principal differences being entirely those of size in all the organs, and economically 

 it comes in the same category, in both timber and want of oil, for no oil was 

 obtained from leaves which were sent to us all the way from Western Australia 

 by the Department of Agriculture of that State. 



5. Podocarpus spinulosa, 



R.Br., MJrb. in Mem. Mus. Par. xiii, 75. 



Syn. : — Taxus spinulosa, Sm. in Rees Cycle, XXXV; P. piiiigens, Caley, Don, in 



Lamb. Pin. ed., 123. (Parlatore). 



"NATIVE PLUM," or "DAMSON." 



Habitat. 

 Sandstone countr}-, near the coast, County of Cumberland, N.S.W. 



I. HISTOLOGY. 



Both Bertrand and ]\Iasters ha^■e ^\•orked out the leaf structure of some 

 non-Australian species. 



II. SYSTEMATIC. 



A small shrubb}' plant with straight rigid, pungent, pointed leaves measuring 

 up to 2 inches in length. Lateral ^•eins not well marked. Male amenta numerous 

 in sessile axillary clusters. Female amentum 6 mm. long in the axils of the 

 lower leaves or bracts on the lower part of the 3'oung branches, ha\'ing two small 

 opposite bracteoles under the cylindrical two-lobed receptacle. 



Seeds larger than in P. elata, R.Br. 



IV. TIMBER AND ECONOMICS. 



Being a small shrub its timber is of no avail, and although its common 

 name might carry some impression of usefulness, yet the plant is of very httle 

 value even in this direction. Nor can it be classed as an oil yielder, for none 

 was obtained from the leaves. 



