16 
Acacia pods are very various as to form. The seed, however, are 
peculiar; they are more or less flattened, and usually marked in the 
centre of each face with an oval or horseshoe-shaped depression, or 
opaque ring or spot. The funicle, or cord by which the seed is 
attached to the placenta, is usually thickened into a fleshy aril either 
under or round the seed. 
To some not well acquainted with the plants, the indigenous 
Sensitive- plant {N'eptuma gracilis) may be mistaken for the true 
Sensitive-plant {Mimosa pudica). Those plants, however, belong to 
distinct tribes of the order. A few words will point out distinctions 
enough to distinguish them, Meptunia gracilis, even before the 
flowers have opened, may be known by the two little heart-shaped 
leaYgg — or, as the botanist would say, cordate bracteoles — at about the 
middle of the flower-stalk (peduncle), and if the flowers are open it 
will be observed that usually each anther is tipped by a minute gland ; 
the pod also does not break up into articles. 3Limosa padica is a 
prickly plant, has no bracteoles or glands upon the anthers, and the 
seed-pod breaks up into articles. 
Hamamelide.35. — This is a small order of plants not represented 
in the Australian flora. Some fine specimens of one species may be 
seen in some of the plantations about Brisbane; and as this, the Sweet 
G^um of America {Liguidambar stgmcijlaai), may be taken by some for 
a Maple, which it resembles in foliage; it may be pointed out that 
the Maple has opposite and the Sweet O am alteruate leaves ; this, 
without other characteristics, will serve to distinguish the trees. 
The Order Myrtace.e is too important in Australia to be passed 
over, but it is quite impos.sible to point to a few characters by 
which its plants may be at once recognised, yet some features 
may be mentioned by which some of the genera may be known, 
or at least distinguished, from allies. Thus some of the Angophoras 
(Apple-trees) are so like Eucalypta that it may be found difficult at 
first sight to distinguish one from the other ; hut if the flowers 
be examined, the petals of Angopbora will be found to be all free, 
while those of the Eucalypts are united or consolidated into an 
operculum. In the flowers of the Box (rr/A*/«w?>), the stamens are 
united in 5 bundles. In ^gnearpia the calyxes are connate in some, 
but in one species free ; but the flowers are gathered together in 
globular heads on axillary peduncles. All these plants belong to a 
tribe of the order whose fruit is a capsule opening at maturity at the 
summit iu as many valves as there are cells. But in another tribe the 
fruit is a berry or drupe, and here belong such trees as the Rose 
Apple, Brazilian CheiTy, and the Griiavas. The leaves of Myrtaceous 
plants are all more or less dotted with small resinous glands ; these 
may be scarcely visible if the leaf be of a thick texture. In the 
tribe which contains the Barringtonias tiiese resinous or oil dots are 
wanting. 
RuBTACEiE, as at present understood, is a most important family 
of plants. Erom it are obtained many drugs, dyes, fruits, coffee, besides 
some excellent timber. Its plants have always opposite or whorled 
leaves, and stipules of various form, sometimes mere bristles and at 
other times large and leafy. The corolla is gamopetalous (for example 
see the flowers of Gardenia and Bouvardia), and the stamens are 
equal in number to its lobes, and alternate with them. The fruit will 
