Xll. 
Charles Austin- Gardner. 
3. HERBS. 
The perennial herbs are not richly developed in south-western Australia, 
except amongst the Liliaceae, Haemodoraceae, Droseraceae, Stylidiaceae, 
Goodeniaceae, Cyperaceae, Restionaceae, and Gramineae. They are mainly 
characterised by a caespitose or cushion-like habit of growth, or are provided 
with strong rhizomes, tubers, or bulbs, and are mainly inhabitants of the 
swamp formations, the granite rocks, or the savaimah woodland. The Orchid- 
aceae in general also conform to this general requirement. 
An exception to this general rule is to be found amongst the Stylidiaceae, 
Goodeniaceae, and more particularly amongst the autochthonous Haemodor- 
aceae, which latter especially are mainly psammophytes. Examples are 
Anigozanthos, Blancoa, Macropidia, Conostylis, and Phlebocarya. All of 
tliese possess strong rhizomes and have either narrow persistent sub-distichous 
leaves, or their leafy parts wither during the dry summer. A further character- 
istic is the hairy or woolly indument of their inflorescences, and sometimes of 
their leaves also. The bizarre colouring of Anigozanthos and Macropidia has 
made them famous. 
The Liliaceae and Droseraceae on the other hand liave hypogeal resting 
organs, usually corms or bulbs. While their development is fairly high in the 
south-west, it is relatively low when contrasted with the floras of other lands 
with a similar climate. It is indeed far short of what one would expect when 
the almost similar conditions which are experienced in the Cape Province of 
South Africa are considered. The most diversified habit is exhibited by 
Drosera, which has erect branching forms in D. gigantea, rosette-like forms 
in LamrolepiSy and several scandent species in Ergalenmi. The Liliaceae are 
both bulbous and fibrous-rooted, or some, like Stypayidra and Arnocrinum 
have strong rhizomes. 
The Cyperaceae are mostly swamp plants, and attain their greatest de- 
velopment in the lower south-west. A few venture into the sand heaths as 
hard tussocky species, but they are entirely absent from the Eremea, except 
as inhabitants of river banks or marshes. They are particularly well de- 
veloped in the swamp lands of Kimberley. 
The Restionaceae, unlike the Cyperaceae, are mainly psammophilous, 
and are equally at home in the periodically swampy areas, or on the dry sand, 
where they sometimes assume a position of importance. Most of them are 
strictly endemic in the Soiith-West Province, but a few, such as Ecdeiocolea, 
Lepidoholus, and Chaetanthus are more typical of the heath formations ex- 
tending into the Eremea. The fact that the dry sand of the interior has 
produced forms such as this, together with the locally endemic Hopkinsia 
and Harperia, illustrates once again the remarkable psammophilous preference 
of the autochthonous elements. 
In the Eremean Province the Compositae become increasingly important, 
and have been discussed under the cliapter dealing with the Mulga Bush. 
Cala7idrinia, the “ parakeelya ” of the interior, is another example of 
a tuberous-rooted perennial which thrives under dry conditions. The species 
of Calayidrinia are of wide occurrence in the Eremea, and in addition to having 
tubers, the leaves are succulent. Some flow^er when in leaf ; other, like C. 
scldstorrhiza, commence to bloom after the leaves have withered, their delicate 
l^lossoins defying the dry heat of early summer. 
The grasses are of most importance in the areas which receive summer 
rain. Grass predominates in most of the Kimberley and northern formations, 
but is also important through a wide area of the Eremea extending south 
