156 AUSTRALIAN BOTANY. 



Native Yam.— MICROSERIS FORSTERI. (Natural 

 Order, Composite.) Pp. 17, 26, 201. — A tuberous or fleshy- 

 rooted, yellow-flowered perennial, common in the neighbour- 

 hood of Melbourne and other parts of Victoria, also in 

 Tasmania and South Australia. Its presence is indicative 

 of good, though heavy, soil. The tubers are edible. 



Nectarine. — AMYGDALUS. (Natural Order, Rosacea.) 

 Pp. 53, 186. — A plant originally a native of Persia, but 

 now extensively cultivated for its luscious fruit, which is 

 merely a smooth -skinned variety of the common peach. 

 There are many varieties in cultivation. 



Nettle.— URTICA. (Natural Order, Urtice/e.) Pp. 

 29, 42. — A large genus of plants, principally distinguished 

 for the virulence of the sting caused by their glandular hairs. 

 Some of the species yield beautiful and valuable fibre. The 

 New South Wales Tree Nettle (Laportea gigas) grows to a 

 height of too feet. The sting from its leaves is so great as 

 to create severe inflammation. Cattle brushing against its 

 branches have been known to run absolutely mad until the 

 pain subsided. The bark of this tree affords a strong fibre, 

 which the natives convert into fishing lines and nets. The 

 Common Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial, cosmopolitan 

 weed, being either indigenous or naturalized in most 

 civilised countries. 



New South Wales Fig.— FICUS AUSTR ALIS. (Natural 

 Order, Urtice^e.) P. 17. — This large tree, which in habit 

 somewhat resembles the Banyan of India, is plentiful in 

 some parts of the colony, from which it derives its common 

 name. 



New Zealand Laurel.— CORYNOCARPUS L^EVI- 

 GATUS. (Natural Order, . Anacardiace^e.) Pp. 28, 30. 



