122 HORN EXPEDITION — BOTANY. 



appearance of a road newly made with large metal, amongst which porcupine-grass 

 grows usually so densely that progress is extremely difficult and even painful if the 

 pedestrian's legs are not well protected ; thougli these impediments may be less 

 discomforting if the tussocks of grass, where not too widely spreading, are availed 

 of by springing from one to another. The faces of these declivities are channelled 

 to varying depths from the condition of mere i-unnels to deep narrow ravines, 

 which usually terminate in a rock-pool. Tlie majority of the plants occur rooting 

 in the crevices of the rocky walls bounding these water-ways ; though it is not an 

 infrequent circumstance to find stately gum trees {Eucah'pfiis terniiuah's) and pines 

 {Callitris rolnista) on the scarped fronts of the sandstone table-land. 



It is in the gorges of the table-lands and on the basal part of the craggy 

 escarpments and their taluses that a varied flora occurs. These are the liabitats 

 of the chief novelties which impart a peculiarity, almost sui gene?-is, to tlie Lara- 

 pintine flora. With few exceptions tlie .species are endemic ; thus of seventy 

 flowering plants, restrictedly rock-dwellers, seven only are of exotic origin, namely, 

 Capparis spinosa, Hybanthiis enneasperiinis (but always in the restricted variety 

 auratitiacus), Trema cantiabina, Parletaria debilis, Piuinbago Zeylatiica, Acyranthes 

 aspera, and Crotalaria viedicaginea. The richer flora prevails on the soutliern 

 aspect of the escarpments and on the iiorth walls of the east and west ravines, 

 and it is very probable that some species remain to be discovered in the many 

 unexploi'ed rocky recesses of the George Gill, James, and Kricliauff Ranges. 



The chief arboreous and shrubby vegetation includes Hihbertia glaberrima, 

 Stda cryphiopetala, Fiats p/aiypoda, Dfldoucea lanceolata^ D. pefiobaris, Mirbelin 

 oxyclada, Indigofera brevideiis, var. canesceiis, Erythrina vespcrtilio, Cassia ghitinosa, 

 C. pruinosa, Acacia iycftpodifolia, A. strotigylophyl/a, Eucalyptus terfiiif talis, 

 E. pachyphy/ia, Grevillea agrifolia, Tecoma australis, Prostanthera Wilkieana, 

 Ereinophila Goodwini, Callitris robusta and Enctphalarlos Macdonnelli. 



The chief herbaceous plants are Oxalis corniculata, Parletaria debills, Ptllotus 

 parvlfollns, P. exaltatus, P. Sclrwartzii, Crotalaria medicagittea, Aster megalodonius, 

 A. Ferresl, Hellchrysum aiiiblguuin, Isotoma petrcea, Sccevola ovallfolla, Goodenia 

 Ramelil, G. Vilmorinia;, Rtiellla prlmulacea, Justicla Kenipeana, Plectra ittlius pan<l- 

 Jlorus, Cyuflglossuin Drumninndl, Erlachne sclerantholdcs, Trlodla puiigeiis, and 

 Cliellanthes tenulfolia. 



As already stated, the characteristic vegetation of the Larapintine region is 

 supplied by its saxatile species. Of these only a limited number extend to far- 

 reaching localities, e.g., Oxalis, Parletaria, Ptllotus exaltatus, P. parvijolius. 



