BY FRED. TURNER. 367 



the immediate neighbourhood, but those two species first attracted 

 my attention. During rough weather sea spray must have often 

 drenched them, but they seemed to luxuriate in the position. 

 Since I settled in New South Wales I have travelled much and 

 botanised largely in the North-East, and have written many 

 special reports on the economic value of the indigenous and 

 acclimatised flora growing there. Many of the plants in this 

 region have been figured and described, as to their economic 

 value, by me, under instructions from the Government of New 

 South Wales. The vegetation of the North-East may be des- 

 cribed as semi-tropical, and more indigenous species of plants are 

 found there than on any other area of similar size in New South 

 Wales. In the most favoured places the growth is very dense 

 and luxuriant, and in many of the scrubs or brushes it is 

 not possible to see many yards in any direction. Much of the 

 arboreal vegetation is festooned with immense, and often beautiful 

 flowering climbing plants, and on the trunks and larger branches 

 of the trees manyepiphytal orchids and ferns may be seen growing, 

 while the ground is literally carpeted with a great variety of 

 terrestrial ferns. On one gigantic fig tree, Ficus macrophylla 

 Desf., I counted more than two hundred epiphytes, consisting of 

 Dendrobium ceniulum R.Br., D. gracilicaule F.v.M., D. speciosum 

 Sm., D. s., var. hillii, D. teretifolium K.Br., D. tetragonum 

 A. Cunn., Sarcochilus divitiflorus F.v.M., S. hillii F.v.M., Gym- 

 bidium suave R.Br., Saccolabium hillii F.v.M., Asplenium falca- 

 tum Lam., A. nidus Linn., Aspidium cordifolium Swartz, 

 DavaUia pyxidata Cav , Ophioglossum pendulum Linn., Platy- 

 cerium alcicorne Desv., P. grande J.Sm., and Vittaria elongata 

 Swartz. The trunks of some trees are almost enveloped by 

 climbing ferns, which have a singular but pleasing effect in the 

 almost impenetrable forest. Fern trees grow abundantly in many 

 places, and some of the species attain considerable height. 

 Their large graceful fronds are a charming sight amongst the sub- 

 arboreal vegetation. The palms, although they only number a 

 few species, sometimes grow into miniature forests, giving a 

 decidedly tropical aspect to the surroundings. The tallest I have 



