EUCALYPTUS TREES. 187 



A prominent aspect in the vegetation of soutii-west 

 Australia emanates from the comparatively large num- 

 ber of singularly beautiful Banksia-tree, preponderant 

 there as the arborous Grevilleae in North Australia. 

 The existence of but two of that genus, Banksia Aus- 

 tralis, and B. ornata, in the extensive tract of interior 

 and coast land, from the head of the Australian Bight, 

 to the vicinity of Port Philip, renders the occurrence 

 of an increased number of trees of this kind in East 

 Australia again still more odd. Eutaceous and good- 

 eniaceous plants, though in no part of the Australian 

 continent rare, attain in the south-west their greatest 

 numerical development, and should not be passed si- 

 lently, or, like Epacridese, as merely ornamental plants, 

 though still so rare in our gardens ; but these elegant 

 plants deserve also attention for their diaphoretic prop- 

 erties, or for the bitter tonic principle which pervades 

 nearly all the species of the two orders. Stylidese are 

 here stiU more numerous than in our north, and com- 

 prise forms of great neatness ; while sundews (Dro- 

 serae) are also found to be more frequently than in 

 anyo ther part of Australia, and indeed of the globe. 

 When, glittering in their adamantine dew, they re- 

 appear as the harbingers of Spring from year to year, 

 they are greeted always anew with admiration. But 

 the greatest charm of the vegetation consists in the 

 hundreds of myrtaceous bushes peculiar to the west, 

 all full of aromatic oil ; among these again, the feath- 

 er-flowered numerous Verticordise, the crimson Calo- 

 thamni, and the healthy Calythrices vie with each 

 other as ornaments. Still also of this order many gor- 

 geous plants exist Jo other parts of, especially extra- 

 t;ropical 4i?stra}ja, The numerous btfshes of Leg^, 



