Notes on the Flora around Adelaide. 
ii 7 
Similar phenomena may be seen in Bulbine bidbosa and Ccesia 
vittata. Weiss and Yapp 1 have described a rather similar root 
system in certain plants from the Karroo district, S. Africa. 
Several genera of terrestrial orchids form a noticeable feature 
of the flora in the spring months (September to November). 
Epiphytic forms on the other hand are entirely absent. The more 
prominent genera are Caladenia, Pterostylis and Prasophyllum. 
Ephemeral Plants. 
The vegetation of the sandy portions of the plains and foothills 
is remarkable for the number of extremely minute ephemeral 
plants that appear in the spring months. 2 The South Australian 
Text-Fig. 3. Ephemeral plants from lower foothills : a, Leewenlicekia 
dubia (Stylidiaceie) ; b, Till tea purpurata (Crassulacese) ; c, Hydrocotyle -callicarpa 
(Umbelliferae) ; d, Quinetia Urvillei (Composite). All natural size. 
ephemeral species belong to several natural orders, Portulacaceae, 
Saxifragaceae, Umbelliferae and Composite being largely represented 
by individuals. It is noticeable that while some of the species, e.g., 
Leewenlicekia dubia, Hydrocotyle callicarpa, appear only to occur in 
this minute form, this is not the case with all. In many cases 
plants of reduced size, showing cotyledons still green on a plant in 
flower or even fruit, may be found almost side by side with others 
of the same species that have attained the full vegetative development 
of the species (e.g., Claytonia volubilis, Podotheca angustifolia, 
Mellotia tennifolia). While the greater number of the species of 
ephemerals appear to be native to South Australia, others, as 
Cryptostemma, Hypochceris and Briza maxima among the introduced 
plants occasionally adapt themselves to a very brief vegetative 
period. 
1 Weiss, F. E., and Yapp, R.H., New Phytologist, vol. 5, 1906, p. 101. 
Cf. Weiss, F. E., and Yapp, R. H., loc. cit., p. 105, 
2 
