74 



Height 1ft. or less. Leaves ]^2in. long. Calyx scarcely 3 



lines in flower, above 6 lines in fruit. Petals white or 



pink. Capsulf) glabrous. Seeds about 2 lines long, 

 dark brown. 



In wet soil. 



412. Thespesia lampas dalz et Giles. 



Lennard, May, Isdell, Barker, Adcook and Calder Rivers 

 (W.V.F.). 



Erect, .5-lOft. ; corolla to 2^in. long, yellow with a darker 

 centre. Sandy loam. The above are the only known 

 Australian localities. The second species, which is com- 

 mon in Queensland and the Northern Territory, is also 

 in North-West Australia. 



413. Bombax malabaricum DC. 



Careening Bay (A. Cunn.) ; Artesian and Edl!:ins Ranges 

 (W.V.F.). 



A deciduous tree, .50-COft. high ; trunk to 30ft. ; diameter 2ft. ; 

 bark greyish, not thick, almost or quite smooth, both on 

 the trunk and limbs covered with stout prickles : timber 

 pale, soft and light ; flowers crimson, to 3Jin. long. 

 " Kapok tree." 



On sandstone and quartzite elevations. 



414. Adansonia Gregorii F. v. M. 



From 30-50ft. high ; trunk 15-20ft. ; diameter to 20ft. ; much 

 contracted upwards ; branches stout, few ; bark grey or 

 brownish, smooth ; timber white and spongy ; flowers 

 white, above 4in. long, sweetly scented ; fruits 6-9in. 

 long by 5-7in. across, brownish to black ; seeds dark 

 brown. " Baobab." 



Trees often leafless when in fruit. Stock readilj' eat the young 

 foliage, and the acid floury contents of the fruits along 

 with the seeds are eaten by the aborigines, both being 

 made into a kind of bread. Occasionally the larger trees 

 have deep hollows at the base of the main branches in 

 which is stored quantities of drinkable water which is 

 utilised by the aborigines during dry periods. The species 

 being a tardy reproducer, young plants are very seldom 

 seen-. 



The trees evidently attain a great age, because there is no 

 authentic record of one being found dead. An inhabitant 

 of sandy loams overlying quartzite or sandstone. 



