THE PROTEA FAMILY. 
77 
good forms for garden work ; while any of the prickly 
species, such as Hakea ulicina, Hakea pungioniformis 
and Hakea rostrata aU make good hedge plants. The 
Victorian species have white or cream coloured 
flowers. 
To anyone familiar with Hakea or Grevillea as a 
tji)e of the Froteaceae, it would be a surprise to find 
that one of the restricted Grampian plants, Conos- 
permum Mitchelli, also belongs to that order. With 
its flat-shaped head of wooUy white flowers, tinged 
with grey, it is more like one of the Cassinias or dog- 
wood bushes, of the composite order, than anything 
else. This plant makes certain parts of the Gram- 
pians very gay in early summer, flowering well and 
profusely. 
The native “ cherry ” is one of those plants which 
has given our Australian flora such an unusual 
reputation. It is the tree that is credited with bear- 
ing cherry-like fruit, having the stone on the outside 
instead of inside. This, of course, is an error, as 
what appears to be the fruit — and it is usually very 
small, — is a well-coloured and succulent fruit stalk, 
the seed being attached at the end. The best known 
species is Exocarpos cupressiformis, the generic name 
meaning fruit on the outside, and the specific name 
referring to the similarity of the tree and foliage, to 
the Cypress or Cupressus. There are four other 
species, not so common as the “ Cherry.” Among 
bushmen, it is usually considered that the land on 
which the Exocarpos grows, is eminently suited for 
apple culture. 
