BY FRED. TURNER. 383 



supposed, extending from near the parallel of 32° South into 

 Queensland. Santalacece have a few interesting species but of 

 no great industrial value up to the present time. Leptomeria 

 acida R.Br., yields the " Native Currant," and Exocarpus cup- 

 ressiformis Labill., the " Native Cherry." Both these species are 

 fairly common on poor country. 



The Gymnospermce are not numerous as regards species, but 

 are abundant and include some valuable timber trees and orna- 

 mental Cycadaceous plants. The tallest and most important 

 timber tree, from a commercial point of view, is Araucaria 

 cunninghamii Ait., and I have seen several specimens upwards 

 of two hundred feet high and each containing about ten thousand 

 feet of good timber. This, with some other species of Coniferce 

 and the Cycadaceous plants, have long been cultivated as 

 ornamental features in Australian gardens. 



Monocotyledons are a most important feature of the flora, and 

 occur in more or less abundance over the whole of the North- 

 East. The species include tall graceful palms, large and small 

 climbers, beautiful flowering epiphytes, dwarf terrestrial and 

 aquatic plants in great variety. Hydrocharidece are aquatic 

 herbs which are found in many lagoons and still waters, one of 

 the most interesting being Hydrocharis morsus-rance Linn. 

 Although indigenous to Australia it is common in Europe and 

 temperate Asia, where it is popularly known as "Frog-bit." It 

 is dioecious, and its orbicular leaves and white flowers may be 

 observed on several lagoons in the northern part of this 

 region. Alpinia ccerulea Benth., is the only member of the 

 Scitaminece found there, and generally occurs in the dense 

 brushes. When in flower or fruit it is an exceedingly ornamental 

 plant. Orchidece either as epiphytes, saprophytes, or terrestrial 

 plants, are fairly numerous over nearly the whole of this area. 

 Although their flowers cannot compare in size, except in a few 

 instances, with those of the exotics so mnch esteemed and largely 

 cultivated by horticulturists, yet most are very beautiful, and 

 many sweetly scented. The late Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald, F.L.S. 

 collected many species in this region and figured them in his 



