120 SELECT PLANTS KEADILY ELIGIBLE 



Lithospermum canescens, Lehmann. 



North American Alkannet. This, as the vernacular name 



indicates, offers also a dye-root. 

 Lithospermum hirtum, Lehmann. 



North American Alkanna. A showy perennial herb; the 



root yields a red dye. 

 Lithospermum longiflorum, Sprengel. 



North America. A red pigment can also be extracted from 



the root of this species. 

 Livistona Australis, Martins. 



East Australia. Our own and only Palm-tree in Victoria, 



occurring in East Gipps Land (in the latitude of Melbourne), 



and there attaining a height of 80 feet. The young leaves 



can be plaited as a material for cabbage-tree hats. 

 Livistona Chinensis, K Brown. 



South China and Japan. A very decorative Fan-palm, hardy 



in our lowlands. 



Lolium perenne, Linne. * 



Europe, North Africa, Western Asia. The perennial Rye- 

 grass, mentioned here for completeness' sake. L. Italicum 

 (Al. Br.), the Italian Rye-grass, seems to be only a variety. 

 One of the most important of all pasture-grasses, also almost 

 universally chosen for lawn-culture. It jDroduces an abun- 

 dance of seeds, which are readily collected and easily vegetate. 

 It comes early to perfection. Nevertheless the produce and 

 nutritive powers are considerably less than those of Dactylis 

 glomerata, Alopecurus pratensis and Festuca elatior; but it 

 pushes forward earlier than the last-mentioned grass, while 

 the ripening of seeds is less defective than in Alopecurus. 

 Bye-grass though naturally living but a few years, maintains 

 its ground well by the ease with which it disseminates itself 

 spontaneously. Several sorts, which scarcely can be called 

 varieties, are under cultivation. Bye-grass stands the dry 

 heat of our summers well. It is likely to spread gradually 

 over the whole of the Australian continent, and may ]3lay an 

 important part in our pastoral affairs and also in ameliorating 

 the clime of the desert districts. Sheep should not be con- 

 tinually kept on Bye-grass pasture, otherwise they may 

 become subject to fits similar to those produced by L. temu- 

 lentum. It is one of the best grasses to endure traffic on 

 roads or paths, particularly on soil not altogether light. It is 

 one of the few among important grasses which can be sown 

 at any season. The Italian Bye-grass is preferentially chosen 

 as an early temporary shelter for tenderer but more lasting 

 grasses on pastures, thus also famishing a good collateral 

 return in the first season. 



