Sixty-two 
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 
June, 1953 
THE OCCURRENCE OF ARGEMONE MEXICANA VAR 
OCHROLEUCA IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 
A. 11. li. Higginson , Pt. Augusta. 
Black's “Flora of South Aus- 
tralia’' gives this plant as occurring 
in ‘the country north-west of 
Cock burn,' but as Cockburn is 
situated practically on the South 
Australian-New South Wales bor- 
der, an element of doubt remains 
as to whether he intended to con- 
vey that the plant did occur in this 
State. 
Some years ago two unknown 
plants appeared in the writer's 
garden and were allowed to mature 
in order to establish their identity. 
When they flowered there was no 
difficulty in recognising them as 
the Mexican or Prickly Poppy — 
Argemone mexicana var ochro- 
leuca (Sweet) Lindl and this 
identification was later confirmed 
by Professor J. B. Gleland. As this 
plant is a declared noxious weed 
in the Eastern States, both plants 
were then destroyed to prevent 
seeding, and no further occurrence 
has been noted. 
During the winter of 1951, a fairly 
extensive colony of these plants was 
found growing in the Railway yard 
at Port Pirie Junction and this was 
immediately reported to the De- 
partment of Agriculture. No action 
was taken to bring it under the 
notice of the botany branch of the 
Royal Society as at that stage it vas 
not known if the plant would per- 
sist. The colony was kept under 
observation during 1952, and it 
was noted that it flowered and 
seeded freely and a recent inspec- 
tion showed that the colony has 
extended considerably and that the 
plants are again growing vigor- 
ously. 
The plants have therefore now 
been under observation for thiee 
seasons and it is evident that it is 
thoroughly established in this 
locality and the occurrence should 
now be recorded. 
Field identification of this plant 
can be readily made by the strip of 
white which follow's the veins of 
the leaves and by the fact that it 
exudes a chrome-yellow sap copi- 
ously w r hen plucked. 
CORYBAS UNGU ICULATUS (R. Br.) Reichb. 
New Locality Record 
Black’s Flora 2nd edition 1943 
gives Mount Compass and be- 
tween Mount Gambier and 
Glencoe as South Australian 
localities for the above species. It 
is therefore of considerable inter- 
est to record that the writer found 
this orchid in flow'er at Bridge- 
water in July, growing in black 
gritty soil under small Tea-Tree 
bushes on the southern slope of a 
hill lightly timbered with Stringy - 
bark. The number of plants in 
the group found w r ould be at least 
fifty and it was only after three 
years observation of the leaves 
that four plants were found in 
flower. The grouping of plants 
suggest vegetative rather than seed 
reproduction. M. A. Lower. 
(Editor’s note:— The author of 
the above note w r ould welcome 
correspondence with others inter- 
ested in Orchids. The address is: — 
7 Playford Street, Glen Osmond, 
S.A.) 
