6 
As to the botany noted during the trip. 
Air. L. Rod way reports:—“The vegetation 
of Freycinet Peninsula is, owing to the 
barrenness of the locality, restricted. Not 
a great number of species occur there, 
but among thuee that do are some very 
interesting plants. The only Tasmanian 
Kuiizia. K. corifolia, grows in moderate 
profusion, forming pretty, much-branch¬ 
ed, semi-drooping shrubs, with soft, light 
green foliage. Of the same order, 
Myrtace®, the Diosma-like shrub Thryp- 
tomene micrantha is fairly common. This 
itf exceptionally interesting in that it has 
•such a restricted distribution. Up to tho 
pre-ent it has only been found near hero 
and on some of tho Bass Straits island6. 
There are two Rhaninaeeous shrubs here 
that do not appear to spread further 
sonth—Spyridiilin vexilliferum (a some¬ 
what lieath-like plant of erect habit, 
around whose flower masses occur few 
pure white, leafy bracts, giving a very 
marked appearance), and the other a 
small, flat, wiry shrub, Stenantheinum 
pinieieoides, wli 06 e chief point of interest 
lies ill that it occurs about this part of 
Tasmania, nud nowhere else in the world. 
“With these plants occnrs a twiggy 
Boronia, Eriostemon virgatus, which, 
though more widely distributed, doca not 
occur beyond the limits of our State. To 
revert to the Myrtles, the gum trees arc 
stunted, and only white, peppermint and 
r. few blue gums appear. Stringy bark 
and its allies do not seem to have got a 
foothold. Amongst tea trees, a form more 
nearly allied to Leptospermum myrti- 
folium than other species is common on 
the granite hills. The flowers and fruits 
are large for the genus, and the latter, 
contrary to the customary habit, have 
convex * protruding capsules similar to 
those of L. seoparium. Heaths are not 
common, only a few specimens of the 
native rocket, Bpacris launginosa, ami 
the blunt-leaved heath, E. obtusifolia, 
were found. On the beach at Wineglass 
Bay the maritime form of the prickly 
•sow-thistle. Sonchus asper, is common. 
This plant is also found in other localities 
on the East Coast, and as far south as 
Recherche Bay. It is a moot point 
whether it should be considered indigen¬ 
ous or introduced. It occurs in New Zea¬ 
land, where the late Professor Kirk did 
not hesitate to claim it as native. But 
few leguminous plants thrive here, 
but of these, the pretty Dillwynnia 
erieifolia develops into a handsome 
shrub. The ever-interesting little Droseras 
appear to thrive well, most of the com¬ 
mon species being plentiful. D. spathu- 
■ ata, so rare in tho South, is common. 
Ono of the prettiest shrubs on the penin¬ 
sula is the Euphorbiaceus Phyllanthus 
gunnii, much divided into 6lender, grace¬ 
ful, somewhat drooping branches, covered 
with pale green, round leaves. This 
plant nas been gathered at Glenorchy; it 
is a rapid grower, and deserves a place in 
our gardens, hut being a native is not 
valued. Amongst the very few Proteace- 
ous plants found hero, Conosperroum 
taxifolium deserves notice. It is an erect 
shrub, with linear ashy-white leaves. It 
spreads from the East Coast to Queens¬ 
land, but not to tho west or south of 
either Australia or Tasmania. It also 
deserves a place in our gardens. 
"Easter is a bad time for orchids, but 
Dendrobium striolatum, with leaves like 
porcupine qnills, was found in abundance 
clothing bare granite boulders. The Spot¬ 
ted Orchid (Dipodium pnnetatum) was 
here, but in fruit. This latter plant does 
not possess green tissue, and, therefore, 
has not the power to oonstruct sugar, 
which is the oaro from which all organic 
compounds, whether of the vegetable or 
animal, are built. There is an interesting 
problem how this plant r.nd its ally, Gas- 
trodin, obtains its food. Is it parasitic or 
mycorhizic? The country it is found in 
negatives the idea of its being saprophy¬ 
tic. The common B.ack Boy (Xanthorcea 
australis) is common; as, indeed, it is in 
very numerous places in Tusmania. It is 
singular that this, till the last few years, 
was treated in botanical works as com¬ 
parative! v rate in Tasmania, while its lit¬ 
tle relative, X., minor, which to-day no 
one appeal's to be able to find here, was 
recorded as abundant, and covering large 
patches in many localities. The sedges 
are not much in evidence. Gaostis pen- 
tandra is plentiful, which is only inter¬ 
esting in so far that it does not appear fur¬ 
ther south. Gahnia microstnchya of Vic¬ 
toria and New South Wales flourishes from 
here to the north-east of Tasmania,but not 
elsewhere. A grass, Zoysia pungens, was 
found covering damp flats. Mr. E. O. Cot¬ 
ton has found it also at Kolvedon. This 
record is interesting as being the most 
southern find. It had been before re¬ 
corded from Korea, along the coast of 
China, the East Coast of Australia, and 
as far as Kent Group. Its habit is 
that of couch, and is a useful coastnl 
sand binder. In America it is known as 
the Japanese lawn grass, and is found to 
make a superior lawn to that of the 
coarser buffalo, which is in so much 
favour in Australia. The appearance 
must be striking, as the grass forms a 
very pale, almost blue grey, sward. The 
Ovster Bay Pine of the East Coast is 
fairly plentiful. The reckless way in 
which names are popularly distributed 
alone made this a pine. It is more cor¬ 
rect to call it a cypress, though not quite 
so. The tree never assumes sufficient di¬ 
mensions tc make it a timber tree of 
