shrubs, both in numbers of species and of individuals. Acacia 
myrtifolia (scrub acacia) and Pultenaea daphnoides (native 
broom) are the most abundant and serve as indicator plants to 
this community. Grasses and herbaceous plants are practically 
absent in this dense community, which also suffers little from 
colonization by introduced alien plants. 
This forest is not obvious in the gorge itself, since it occurs 
on the hill tops in the wetter areas of the reserve. The bulk of 
the vegetation of the gorge, which occurs on the steep slopes, 
is, however, related to this forest type. The latter is the climax 
and the slope communities are intermediaries which may pass 
into this climax type. 
3. Vegetation of the Hill Slopes 
"JTiE vegetation of the slopes varies with the degree of the 
slope, or, more accurately, with the depth of soil. Broadly, 
three vegetation communities can be distinguished ; these com- 
munities are related to one another and to the stringybark 
sclerophyll forest. Where the slope is so steep that it becomes 
practically a cliff, and little soil is present, eucalypt forest is 
absent. The dominant plants are Casuarina stricta (sheoak), 
with its characteristic pendant, leafless, thin branches and woody 
cones, and the grotesque grass tree Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata, 
with its twisted branched trunks and growth of wire-like leaves 
which are square in section. Herbaceous plants are common 
in the shallow soil and in rock pockets, especially Goodenia, 
Scaevola, Lomandra , and Halorrhagis, and ferns such as 
Gymno gramme and Pleurosorus. Where the slope is less steep, 
but still rocky and with a shallow soil, the sheoak community 
is replaced by a stunted forest dominated by the pink gum 
(E. fasciculosa ) — this is a straggling tree and takes its name 
from the colour of its wood. Much of the upper slopes of the 
hills in the Morialta gorge are covered with this tree. The 
undergrowth is open and consists mainly of Plibbertia sericea, 
Olearia tubuliflora, Hakea rostrata, and Tetratheca pilosa. 
On less steep slopes again, but still with a shallow soil, 
E. fasciculosa is replaced by the brown stringybark, E. Baxteri. 
The undershrubs are sclerophyllous, though not so dense as in 
the E. obliqua forests. Plakea ulicina, Daviesia ulicina , Astroloma 
hutmfusum, and Astroloma conostephioides are common under- 
shrubs and Halorrhagis and H elichrysum scorpioides are fre- 
quent. As the soil becomes deeper this community gradually 
passes into the climax stringybark forest of E . obliqua, with its 
associated undershrubs. 
Page Ninety-six 
