| 
f 
CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A 
of a Potato; when so ripe as to split, it 
has a mealy subacid taste. 
Mesembryanthemum equilaterale ; Pig- 
faces, called by the Aborigines by the more 
elegant name of Canagong. The pulp of 
the almost shapeless but somewhat obco- 
nical fleshy seed-vessel of this plant is 
sweetish and saline; it is about an inch 
and a half long, of a yellowish, reddish, 
or green colour. 
Polygonum adpressum (Bot. Mag. 
3145). The Macquarie Harbour Vine, 
either as an insignificant trailing plant, or 
as a magnificent climber, according to soil 
and situation, is found on the coast of va- 
rious parts of Van Diemen's Land, and 
also as far inland as within four miles of 
New Norfolk. This plant has a small but 
sweet fruit, formed of the thickened divi- 
sions of the calyx of the flower, enclosing 
a triangular seed of unpleasant flavour. 
Gaultheria hispida, the Waz-Cluster, 
abundant in the middle region of Mount 
Wellington, and in other elevated and 
moist situations of the Colony. This fruit 
is formed by the thickened divisions of the 
calyx, enclosing the small seed - vessel, 
which, when ripe, is of a snowy white. 
The flavour is difficult to describe, but not 
unpleasant ; in tarts it somewhat resembles 
young gooseberries, with a slight degree of 
bitterness. 
Astroloma humifusa (Bot. Mag. t. 1439). 
The native Cranberry has a fruit of a 
green, reddish, or whitish hue, about the 
e of a black currant, consisting of a 
viscid, apple-flavoured pulp, enclosing a 
large seed; this fruit grows singly on the 
trailing stems of a small shrub resembling 
Juniper, bearing beautiful scarlet blossoms 
in autumn. 
Leucopogon Gnidium (probably Leuco- 
pogon Richeu, Bot. 325.—Ep.) 
A large bush, with numerous harsh leaves, 
growing along the sea-shore with some 
other smaller inland shrubs of the same 
tribe, produces very small white berries of 
a sweetish and rather herbaceous taste. 
These are called, promiscuously, Red or 
White Currants in the Colony. There are 
in the mountains some dry red-berried 
FLORA OF SOUTH AMERICA. 41 
shrubs allied to this, the fruit of which may 
serve to allay hunger, but is too disagree- 
able to be eaten under other circum- 
stances, 
Oxalis microphylla, Yellow-flowered 
Sorrel. This little plant, which displays 
its lively yellow blossoms on almost every 
grassy spot in the Colony, and has acid 
leaves resembling in form those of Clover, 
is very pleasant, eaten raw, to allay thirst, 
t. and when made into tarts is almost equal 
to the Barberry 
Casuarina torulosa. The She Oak, The 
young fruit and young shoots afford an 
agreeable acid by chewing, which allays 
thirst. 
Leptospermum lanigerum, Hoary Tea- 
Tree —Acacia decurrens, Black Wattle. 
—Correa alba, Cape Barren Tea.—The 
foliage of all these has been used for tea 
in the Colony, as have also the leaves and 
bark of Cryptocarya glaucescens, the Aus- 
tralian Sassafras. 
I do not think it necessary to enter upon 
any description of the Barilla Shrubs, 
(Atriplex Halimus, Rhagodia Billardie- 
ri, and Salicornia Arbuscula,) which, with 
some others, under the promiscuous name 
of Botany Bay Greens, were boiled and 
eaten along with some species of sea-weed 
by the earliest settlers, when in a state of 
starvation. The thick young shoots of 
some of the humbler species of Salicornia, 
would, no doubt, like that of the S. annua 
(Glass-wort, or Marsh Sampire of Eng- 
land) be serviceable for pickling. 
(ee 
CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A 
FLORA OF SOUTH AMERICA 
AND THE ISLANDS OF THE 
PACIFIC. 
By Sir W. J. Hooker, LL.D. and G. A. W. Arnott, 
Esq., A.M. F.R.S.E. 
I Extra-TropicaL SOUTH AMERICA. 
( Continued from Vol. I. p. 244, of this Work. ) 
In addition os ends collections of extratro- 
ne Sout. i an plants, mentioned 
iin f n volume, as havi 
bes ri received by us, we have now 
