147 



is of sufficient excellence to stand on its own merits. It is good fumittire 

 wood, and has a quiet yet handsome figure that looks well under polish. 

 It can be put to most of the uses that Spanish Mahogany is put. I have 

 heard that it is considered valuable for the naves of vpheels in the districts i u 

 which it grows. 



Following is an extract from a letter writteri by the late Mr. Thomas 

 !Bawden, of Grafton, to me in 1891. He sent nie twigs of D. Muelleri: — ■ 



" There are many other valuable timbers in the Dorrigo brushes, amongst 

 others the Pencil Cedar, a use for which I learnt, previoiisly unkno^vn to me : 

 I was shown a pair of old dray vvlieel naves made of Pencil Cedar, some 

 twenty-flve years ago. Hitherto I have thought Apple-tree was the most 

 suitable timber we had for that i^urpose, but this piece would serve to show 

 that the Pencil Cedar is equally as good." 



Locally it is used for cabinet-work, flooring, lining, and ceilings of houses. 



Hahitat. — It is a brush tree belonging to the coastal districts, and probably 

 extending a good deal into the rich brush forests in the upper parts of the 

 rivers. It is a native of our ISTorthern Rivers, particularly the Clarence, 

 Richmond, and Tweed. As regards Queensland, Mr. F. M. Bailey, in his 

 Queensland Flora, gives " Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, and other southern 

 parts." John Dallachy found it on the Herbert River, so that its range 

 may be defined from the Clarence to Central Queensland. As regards Xev,- 

 South Wales, it should be looked for on the Bellinger, Maclcay, and 

 Hastings Rivers. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 101. 



A. Leaf reduced in size one half. 



B. Leaflet, natural size. 



c. Part of flowering branch. 



D. Flower. (N.B Staminal tube yellow outside in a fresh state.) 



B. Flower, opened out, showing — (a) Corolla, (6) Staminal tube, (c) 

 Tubular disc (orange-coloured in fresh state), (d) Pistil. 



F. Calyx and pistil. 



G. Anther. 

 H. Fruits. 



Oicenia cepiodora, E.v.M. 



The Onion Wo()d. 



Boianic-al Name. — Owenia, in honour of the late Sir Richard Owen, the 

 great comparative anatomist of the British Museum; cepiodora, from two 

 Iiatin words — cepa (caepa), an onion, and odor, a smell or odour. 



Vernacular Name. — " Onionwood " or " Bog Onion.'' The timber smells 

 like decayed onions, thoug^h often a newly-cut plank has a smell resembling 

 watermelons. -, 



There is often a gradation -of " pleasant " and " unpleasant '" odour 

 in the same plant. The matter seems worthy of chemical investigation. 

 yhe onion smell is not always present in this species, being replaced by a 

 melon or pumpkin odour. 



Aboriginal Napie. — Called " Ingmunyon " by the aborigines, " Bog 

 •Onion Tree" by thte white settlers (Mueller, in original description). The 

 late Mr. Alfred Oadell once sent me specimens of this tree with a message 



