SOME CLIMBING PLANTS. 
101 
The scarlet passion-flower, Passiflora einnabarina, 
of East Gippsland, is a quick-growing climber with 
rather smaller flowers than is usual among passion- 
flowers. It is rather prolific when in bloom, and the 
scarlet flowers are distinctive. 
Another good and quick-growing chmber is Tecoma 
Australis, which has shining dark green leaves and 
vigorous clusters of whitish flowers. 
We are familiar with the Clematis or “ old man’s 
beard,” with white starry flowers, and with fluffy 
white feathery seed-heads — aU quick-growing hand- 
some climbers. Clematis microphyllus is the coastal 
form with small creamy flowers. Clematis aristata 
is the larger white species with also larger leaves. 
This is more a lover of the bush or mountain gullies. 
A variety of this species, named Dennisae, has a 
brownish red zone in the centre of the flower, which 
distinguishes it from aU others. 
Other climbing plants there are, which are not so 
well known. A number of these are fairly prevalent 
in East Gippsland, which portion of the State owns 
a flora more approaching that of New South Wales 
and Queensland. These plants, as well as many other 
beautiful ones, grow mainly on low banks and 
margins of the rivers, extending in to the flat land 
on each side of the banks. The growth was so luxuri- 
ant and dense that these areas received the appro- 
priate name of jungles, and before civilisation and 
settlers discovered that these jungles claimed the best 
land, the vegetation was wildly luxuriant. Trees of 
all species, many unknown to other parts of the State, 
were crowded in dense masses, and festooning these. 
