122 
Nancy T. Burbidge. 
flower during either \ isit and was not studi(HL On its outer fringe the sam- 
phii'e association naages into tlu^ e<lihle shrub association. This outer xono 
includes low shrubs, up to three and a lialf feet liigh, the most important 
being saltbush (Afriphw hifnip^otheca), sagobush {KocJiia ppnunidata), sago 
{CratpstyHs vonocvphahi) and wat('rbush {Lyc'nu)i aiisirale). Bxet^pt for water- 
bush tlu'se are all useful fodd<-r plants. \A'aterbush pn^scaits an attractive 
appe^aranee aftei* rain owing t(3 its abundant succulent lt^a\'es. In a dry season 
howev(a*, wluai they Tuight b<‘- of A’ahie, 1h('se leaves fall, leaA'ing only bare 
thorny hranelK's. Bhu^l:)ush [Kochut 8e(iifoli(t) is pres(‘nt in tlie association 
but y)lays a minoi* roK'. (Sc'c Transc'cts VI. and IX.) 
The t(‘rni " st('pp(s'’ so far as this Lak(‘ Hac'sidf' area is conc(‘i-ne(l is a. 
misnonua*. tunc(‘ ail tlie lak(‘ zones are br()k(ai l)y low sand ridg(‘s })earing 
small ti-(M*s. These irichuk' iukmIU'IiusIi. itieoak, w'iilow' {Filtos})()rn)n phillif- 
raeoides) and om' without a conunon name (Eremoph'da txiniaid). There is 
a small amount of a nari-ow-l('a\'(Hl foi-m of Acac'nt (Uivvra. Casein en-fn.phiht 
and AvjicUi hrdvhy^iacJnfif also occur. 
In ov<'rgraz(Mt (Mlibl(^ shrul) countiA' tlie saltbush and bhu^bush appeared 
to b(‘ U'ss capabl(' of regrovith than the sagobush. [u time of drouglit the 
saltbush stHuns the kaist r('sistant. It is also tlu' most ])alatablo of the shrubs 
judging liy observations. lu om* ]ila(‘e wlua'c the vegetativi' cover had been 
almost compl('t(»ly lost tlu' plants jiresent were B(tss}a d/w/r/Vu/u, annual salt- 
bush (Atnjdvx halhnoides and Atrr])k‘.r xpoiiqiosntn), Rkrtyodia s]). and a rela- 
tively large uumber f>f‘ [ilants of Fra)ik'(‘}iia fecunda and Frartkehia svtosa. 
Bassid d-'n'(n-ic<dd and th(‘S(‘ Fnntkcnia s])]>. wf're rare in normal edible shrub 
country. Trans('('t VII.) 
Wien seem in August the ])erennial shrubs wi'ri^ in good condition \\ith 
plenty of fri'sh growth ami a liea\-y taop of flowers. 
The pi'n^nnial slirub country is Ix'tti'r d(‘V('ioped on the north-i^astei'n side 
of th(‘ lake than on the sout li-western, w la'ro low ritlges carry wandarj-ie plants 
and tlie flats are normal flood tilain. This supports the theory regarding 
the tendency of these Iak(*s to migrate in a south-westerly direction. Of sjieeial 
interest in regard to this tfieory was the di.scovery of an irregular zone of 
mixed country carrying tht; plants of the flood plain association interpersed 
with tlie (xlible shrubs. If the lake has migrated, this zone may' well represent 
the intrusion of mulga and curura into th(^ siirub steppe. The peculiar 
balanced association of tlu* two tyj^es cannot bo explained by soil character 
or a diff(n’('nc(> in water siqiply. (St'C Transects V. and X.) 
Currant bush (ScaevoJa spinescens) was fairly common in this mixed 
country. This shrub, tliough reported as being able to survh'e heavy stocking 
(McTaggai-t, 193()), is not n^garded locally as a useful plant. 
(4) Sandplain. 
This typ(> of coimtry is not well (levelopi'tl on Ckaiorn. There are some 
small ar-('as of spinifex in the si'Ction of the station north of Mount Morgans. 
Therc^ does not seem to be any well defined zone of spinifex. The area seen 
covered about a square mile, and was sur-rounded by flood plain and hills 
scrub formations. The soil of the sandplain is lighter in colour than that 
that of tlu^ v*andari‘io areas. No information was obtained concerning the 
existence of hardpan in this country. 
The spinifex association is very distinct botanically. TrMia Basedowii 
is dominant. No other grass, mmiial or perennial, was seen. A low shrub 
form of AcacAa hvachydachgd- -smaller than the bogada of the wandarrie 
