212 INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN FORAGE PLANTS. 



drink, which would have been altogether impossible in the absence- 

 of this succulent plant. 



32. Conospermum Stcechadis, Undl., B. El., v., 375. Syn.: C. 



sclerophyllum, Lindl. N.O. Proteaceye. Found in Western 

 Australia and New South Wales. 



33. Conospermum triplinervium, R. Brown, B. Fl., v., 374. Syn.: 



C. lanijlorum, Endl., C. undulatuin, Lindl. N.O. Proteaceae. 



Found in Western Australia. 



Baron Mueller suggests that these plants be tried on the worst 



desert country, as all kinds of pasture animals browse with avidity 



on the long, tender and downy flower-stalks and spikes, without 



touching the foliage, thus not destroying the plant by close 



34. Cucumis trigonus, Roxb., B. FL, iii., 317. Syn.: C. pubescens 

 Hook.: C. jucundus, F.v.M.; C. picrocarpus, F.v.M. N.O. 

 Cucurbitacea?. " Boomarrah " of the aboriginals of the 

 Cloncurry River, North Queensland. Found in New South 

 Wales, Queensland, Northern and Western Australia. 



Stock are said to be very fond of this plant in the Western 

 districts of Queensland. (Bailey). Sir Thomas Mitchell speaks 

 of this plant covering a great area of ground, in one of his journeys 

 in western New South Wales. 



35. Daucus brachiatus, Sieb., B. FL, iii., 376. Syn. : Scandix- 

 glochidiata, Labill. N.O. Umbelliferae. "Native Carrot." 

 Found in all the Colonies. 



Stock are very fond of this plant when young. Sheep thrive 

 wonderfully on it where it is plentiful. It is a small annual 

 herbaceous plant growing plentifully on sandhills and rich soil, 

 the seeds, locally termed " carrot burrs," are very injurious to wool, 

 the hooked spines, with which the seeds are armed, attaching 

 themselves to the fleece, rendering portions of it quite stiff and 

 rigid. The common carrot belongs of course to this genus, and 

 the fact that it is descended from an apparently worthless, weedy 

 plant, indicates that the present species is capable of much 

 improvement by cultivation. This plant is not endemic in 

 Australia. 



36. Daviesia spp. N. O. Leguminosse. " Hop-bush." Found 



chiefly in Western Australia, but also in New South Wales 



and other Colonies. 

 Some of these shrubs are called " hop-bushes " on account of the 

 pleasant bitter principle which pervades them. Horses and cattle 

 are fond of browsing on them. 



