xlvi. 
Charles Austin Gardner. 
are, however, important since they indicate that under conditions of repeated 
firing or clearing, there is a distinct tendency towards a grassland succession. 
(c) LATERITIC FORMATIONS. 
Apart from the jarrah forest, the lateritic formations in south-western 
Australia do not support arborescent species with the exception of two types. 
The first is the w^andoo formation, which in the eastern area of its range on 
the fringe of the savannah formation occurs on lateritic rises as a small tree 
forming open woodland with a characteristic undergrowth in which certain 
species of Acacia^ Callitris Morrisoni, and Casuarina campestris are character- 
istic plants. This passes almost imperceptibly into a type known as “ Wodjil 
country,” in which Acacia becomes predominant (especially Acacia Beau- 
verdiana, A. signata, A. neurophylla, and other species of similar habit — all 
rigid erectly-branched markedly sclerophyllous shrubs. Casuarina campestris 
is also a characteristic species, either forming low' dense thickets, or in more 
open formation associated with Acacia, HaJeea multilineata, Dodonaea, and 
certain Proteaceae. This formation remains poor in herbaceous species. It 
extends from the eastern margins of the South-West Province into the Eremean 
Province, even to the boundary of the mulga bush. 
In the w^estern part of the savannah zone, bordering on the jarrah forest 
there are two important types, more or less restricted to hills and rising ground 
— the isolated w^oodlands of Eucalyptus accedens, and the Mallet country. 
The former enters to a certain extent into the composition of the marginal 
jarrah country wdiere the subsoil is clay, and sometimes is found in association 
wdth wandoo itself. It attains to its highest development betw’een Toodyay 
and Williams to the w’est of the Great Southern Railw'ay, and again between 
Bindoon and Mogumber. The type is characterised by its stony soil, and 
the density of the sclerophyllous undergrow^th in contrast to the pure wandoo 
formation. 
Mallet is the name given to two or three species of EucalypUis, especially 
the brown mallet {Eucalyptus astringens) and the blue mallet (E. Gardneri). 
These trees, w'liich grow* in dense formation, occupy the lateritic hills of the 
wandoo zone between Pingelly and Bavensthoi’pe, attaining their highest 
development betw*een Pingelly and Wagin to the east and west of the Great 
Southern Railway. Both species readily germinate after the country is 
denuded by fire, forming dense thicket-hke areas over the lateritic hills, with 
a shrubby undergrow'th in which Oxylobiurii parvifloruyn and Dryandra are 
common, together with certain endemic species. To the south of Wagin, the 
mallet areas occur on lower-lying ground, but not in depressions, wiiile the 
two species extend in a mallee form almost to Esperance. 
(d) FORMATIONS OF THE GRANITE ROCKS. 
Throughout the interior, the basic granite is exposed in small rounded 
hills or tors, often quite devoid of soil. These masses serve to collect amounts 
of rain water w'hich runs off their sides, or collects in shallow pools on the 
rock. The areas thus receive more soil moisture around their bases than the 
surrounding country, and this is of importance to the vegetation. There 
are a number of plants entirely confined to the granite rocks and their vicinity. 
Amongst the trees, the most characteristic is perhaps Casuarina Huegeliana, 
which attains a height of five or six metres, w'ith heavy pendulous branches. 
Other characteristic species in the interior are Leptospermum ertibesce?is, 
Kunzea sericea, a shrub with handsome scarlet flowers produced in great 
abundance, and often growing out of crevices in the bare rook, and the two 
