Notes on the Flora around Adelaide. 113 
formation is colonised by shrubby Salicornias (S. arbuscula and 
australis) associated with Suceda maritima and Samolus repens. 
Where the ground is slightly more elevated the Salicornias are 
replaced by a sward of Sporobolus virginicus. 
The Dry Creek area which extends three miles inland from 
the mouth of the Port Creek is interesting, since on it occur 
Salicornias and other halophytic plants that are relics of the time 
when the area was subject to tidal inundation. 
The coast south of the Port River is bordered by low sandhills. 
Spinifex hirsutus, jfuncus spp. and Mesmbryanthemuin equilaterale 
are the chief sand-building plants, especially the former, on dunes 
of the more shifting type, but are all markedly inferior to the 
introduced Ammophila arenaria that occurs in places. In addition 
are numerous shrubs of Olearia axillaris , Styphelia Richeii, 
Sccevola crassifolia and Pimelia stricta which in places form a close 
thicket (PI. I, Fig. 2). On the more stable sandhills the 
cyperaceous plant, Lepidosperma spp., forms the principal covering 
over large areas. Behind the sand-hills are swampy areas follow¬ 
ing the channel of the Torrens to the Port Adelaide creek. These 
are largely colonised by Salicornias ; Samolus, Frankenia, Spergu- 
laria marina are also common. The paper bark “ti-trees” 
(Melaleuca spp.) form dense thickets especially by the banks of 
drainage channels (PI. I, Fig. 3). They do not, however, replace 
the mangroves on banks subject to tidal scour. 
The lower foothills are occupied by vegetation of two main 
types. The one is open grassland with Eucalypts ( E. rostrata and 
E. odorata) and is now largely used for pastoral purposes. This is 
the commoner type of vegetation and may have been continuous 
with the woodland of the plains. There are areas, however, where 
the soil is gravelly (old river gravels) and in such places the grass¬ 
land disappears to be replaced by scrub of Eucalyptus spp., Acacia 
spp., and other shrubs. In such areas many more conspicuous 
low-growing plants (e.g., the scarlet runner, Kennedia prostrata, 
orchids such as Caladenia spp., Calycothrix, Drosera, Goodenia, etc.) 
are to be found. 
The second range of foothills, rising about 800 feet to a plateau, 
presents several markedly distinct types of vegetation which appear 
to be correlated with the geological formation. The slate hills are 
covered with grassland and scattered “ gums ” having a park-like 
appearance. The absence of undergrowth and the maintenance of 
a sward may be partly due to grazing, but all the differences 
