557 



have become included in tiie sandhill area, though in the list 

 they are included as sandliill flats. 



Finally, in the list, the plants are classified according to 

 their "'life-form," using Raunkiaer's system. ^i"^' As no such 

 examination of an Australian flora has been made before, the 

 ten life-forms recognized by Raunkiaer are briefly defined 

 below . 



Phaxaerophytes are plants whose dormant buds project 

 freely into the air, i.e., trees and shrubs. They are com- 

 monly subdivided according to their height into four 

 groups: — 



Megaphanaerophytes, tall trees, over 30 m. 

 Mesophanaerophytes, medium-sized trees, 8-30 ni. MM. 

 ]\[icrophauaerophytes, small trees and shrubs, 2-8 m. 



Symbol M . 

 Nanophanaerophytes, shrubs, 2 ni. and less. Symbol N« 



Chamaephytes (Chi) are plants w^ith buds or shoot 

 apices perennating on the surface of the ground or just above 

 it (under 25 cm.). These buds gain some protection either 

 b}^ snow, or, in dry countries, by dead plant remains. 



Hemicryptophytes (H>) have their dormant buds in 

 the upper soil crust, just below the surface, thereby gaining 

 additional protection. The aerial parts are herbaceous and 

 die avoay at the onset of the critical period. 



Cryptophytes are plants with their dormant parts well 

 buried in the case of geophytts (G.), the only subdivision of 

 the class present in the Ooldea flora. Marsh plants ihelo- 

 'phijtes) such as Typha and Phragmites, and some aquatic 

 plants (hydrophytes) as Nymphaea and Potamogeton forln 

 the other subdivision (HHi) which is not represented at 

 Ooldea. 



Therophytes (Till) are plants the seeds of which germ- 

 inate rapidly at the favourable season, soon pass into flower and 

 fruit, and then die aw^ay. These, therefore, pass the unfavour- 

 able season as seeds. They are all annuals, and many in the 

 floras of arid regions are ephemeral. Two other classes are 

 Stem Succulents, notably scarce in the flora of Australia as 

 a whole, and Epiphytes (£■). Strictly speaking, these 

 perched plants should gain nothing but an elevated position 

 from the phanaerophytes on which they grow, hence they are 

 best developed in wet regions. No true epiphytes occur at 



. (14) Smith, W." G., Raunkiaer's Life-forms and Statistical 

 Methods, Journ. Ecol.. i.. pp. 16-26, 1918; in this paper the 

 literature is summarized to date. Taylor, W., Growth-forms of 

 the Flora of New York and Vicinity., Am. Journ, Bot.. ii.. pp. 

 23-31, 1915. . ; . .- 



