104 NATIVE FLOWERS OF VICTORIA. 
among the stronger stemmed growths. Both the 
shape of the leaf and its veirungs go to form a dis- 
tinctive and ornamental plant. 
Among trees, the “oaks” are distinctive and 
decorative, the best being Casuarina quadivalis, the 
“she-oak.” 
The native pines, CaUitris, are handsome trees 
with cypress-like foliage, dark green and cool-looking. 
Their timber, too, is of good iise for building, in that 
it resists the ravages of white ants, CaUitris cupres- 
siformis, the Murray Pine is the best known. 
The “bottle-tree” or Currajong, Brachychiton 
populneum, a native of the eastern parts, is a fine 
shapely tree, and one suitable for street planting. 
Its foliage is shining, pendant and decorative, and its 
round trunk and fine habit of growth, aU contribute 
to its beauty. This is one of the lace or net-bark 
trees, which were made use of by the aborigines for 
their bags and nets. It has thick, soft, fleshy roots, 
which were dug up and much reUshed by the natives 
as food and drink. 
Our elderberry tree, which grows in the east, is 
Sambucus xanthocarpa, the latter name being given 
in reference to the yeUow fruits which hang in 
clusters like the ordinary elderberry. It is an orna- 
mental tree and very like the black-fruited species 
mentioned, which is a native of Europe. 
The ‘ ‘ Mountain Ash ’ ’ — not the mountain ash of the 
gum tree family, nor the mountain ash of Scotland, 
but the one which is so-called and so well known in 
our southern districts, is Panax sambucifolius — that 
is a Panax with foliage Uke the Sambucus or Elder- 
