208 
SKETCH OF THE VEGETATION OF AUSTRALIA. 
ceous plants, generally in the form of shrubs, 
with red or yellow, sometimes blue, flowers. 
These form a considerable portion of the un- 
derwood on the edge of the woods, or of the 
scrubs intervening in the more open parts of 
the country, especially as the interior of the 
country is gained. Here Kennedya rubicunda, 
with its brownish leaflets growing in threes, 
and its large red flowers, may be seen climb- 
ing the trees on the margins of the woods, as 
also does Hardenbergia monophylla, with its 
long twining stems, simple leaves, and fine 
spikes of small blue flowers. In the same 
Avay Brachysema lalifolium may be found 
adorning the scrubs with its twining stems, 
broad heart-shaped leaves, and scarlet flowers. 
Numerous Pidtenceas ai'e also to be found, 
generally forming neat bushes, with rigid 
leaves and terminal heads of flowers of some 
shade of yellow. But a mere list of plants 
with papilionaceous flowers indigenous to 
New South "Wales, would occupy much 
space. There are the Hoveas, the Bossiceas, 
Platylobiums, Chorozemas, Dilhvynias, Po- 
dolobiums, Burtonias, Gompholobiums, Mir- 
belias, Gastrolobiums, Davksias, and many 
other genera of this family, all well known, 
and which are almost as conspicuous in our 
greenhouses as in the woods of Australia. 
Turning to the monocotyledonous plants of 
this country, perhaps no forms give so pecu- 
liar an appearance to the vegetation as the 
grass trees (Xanthorrhcea hastili.% and other 
species), whose stout trunks supporting a 
dense head of long curved grass-like leaves, 
surmounted by a tall stem bearing a spike of 
white flowers, and growing in the most barren 
places, give a peculiar air to the landscapes in 
which they occur. Another subject of similar 
habit, but Avith a spike of intensely coloured 
crimson flowers, is the JDoryanthes exceha, 
a plant occurring in greater plenty to the 
north of Sydney. As an undergrowth to 
these, plants of a still more herbaceous and 
dwarf stature are very common ; amongst 
which the Patersonias hold a considerable 
rank. These are plants with a rigid sedgy 
foliage, and spikes or heads of blue or purple 
flowers of great beauty, but very short dura- 
tion. Others of similar habits are also com- 
mon, as sedges and grasses of various species, 
but these are seldom found forming anything 
like a close turf. Among the orchids of this 
region are a veiy few of epiphytical habit, 
but a rather large assortment of terrestrial 
growth, many of which are very ornamental ; 
as, for instance, Diuris aurea, a plant with 
persistent lanceolate leaves, and a flower- 
spike attaining a height of eighteen inches, 
bearing a quantity of singularly formed golden 
coloured flowers. 
Passing towards the interior, the size of the 
trees and the denseness of the forest increases 
until the range of the Blue Mountains is 
passed, when a different vegetation is met 
with in every direction ; not that the families 
of plants are entirely changed, but because 
with many new genera, several of which are 
analogous or identical with European forms, 
those more peculiarly Australian appear under 
different conditions. On the Liverpool and 
other plains of the interior the forest vegeta- 
tion generally arranges itself in isolated 
groups, or is scattered about in single plants, 
so as to give the country quite a park-like 
appearance, while the lawn is composed of 
many various grasses and other herbs, among 
which is generally predominant on tolerable 
or good soils, the kangaroo grass (Anthistiria 
australis), one of the most generally diffused 
and most valuable productions of the open 
woods and downs of the interior, being the 
grass on which the flock-masters and squatters 
chiefly depend for food for their herds and 
flocks. It is in good land a tall strong grass 
with a compound flower-spike, somewhat re- 
sembling the common oat-grass of England. 
But it is in or near the water-courses and 
rivers that the forms occur which most remind 
the traveller of the European flora, for there 
he meets with mints, water plantains, sedges, 
duck-weeds, &c, which forcibly remind him 
of home. One of the finest plants of this 
description is the willow-herb (Lythrum 
salicaria), common by our English rivers, 
and still further remarkable as being the only 
one of its natural order yet known in New 
Holland. Another plant, apparently almost 
universally diffused over the interior of the 
country, is the Polygonum, junceum, a trailing 
matted bramble-like shrub, but valuable as 
almost always'marking the proximity of water. 
The valley of the river Lachlan affords a 
considerable variety of fresh forms of plants, 
one of the most useful of which to the ab- 
origines is a species of reed or bull-rush, 
which grows in enormous quantities in the 
extensive marshes near this river. The roots, 
or creeping rhizomes, are collected in lengths 
of about nine inches, peeled and slightly 
roasted before the fire ; they are then twisted 
so as to loosen the fibres, and a starchy sub- 
stance closely resembling wheaten flour is 
shaken out, furnishing a good and wholesome 
food at all times. This food, which the na- 
tives call " Balyan" is thus always procur- 
able, either as above, or by simply chewing 
the peeled roots. Among allied plants, several 
new forms of grasses occur on or near the 
Lachlan, as Danthonia pectinata, with dense 
long foliage, and simple secund spikes ar- 
ranged many together in terminal heads. 
Also Trichinium nobile, with broad ovate 
leaves, and cylindrical spikes of feathery pale 
