182 
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
[Vol. io, 
Grass trees ( Xanthorrhoea sp.) were abundant, as in other parts of Aus¬ 
tralia, and Leptospermum, Melaleuca, and the peculiarly West Australian 
Verticordia, were the most common Myrtaceae aside from Eucalyptus. 
Some of the species of Verticordia, with delicate pink, finely fringed petals, 
were particularly noteworthy. 
The only gymnosperm was a very abundant cycad—“Zamia palm” 
in the vernacular ( Macrozamia Fraseri). This cycad is often responsible 
for the poisoning of animals which eat the young foliage, especially in dry 
seasons, or after a fire. 
The hills about Perth offer many attractions to the botanist, as they 
abound in the beautiful flowers for which the whole region is famed. In 
September and October, the Australian spring, the magnificent Western 
Australian flora may be seen here in all its glory. 
Western Australia is the home of many species of Eucalyptus, including 
the important timber trees jarrah (. E . marginata) and karri ( E . diversicolor). 
The former has a pretty wide range, usually growing in poor soil. It has 
a very characteristic habit, the stiff, ascending branches presenting a very 
different appearance from that of most of the gums. The karri is confined to 
a much more restricted area in the southwestern corner of the state, in a 
region of abundant rainfall and good soil. It is the giant among the western 
gums, and is said to attain a height of three hundred feet. It was a pitiful 
sight to see the gaunt skeletons of these splendid trees killed by ring-barking, 
to provide wretched grazing for a few sheep and cattle. 
The most beautiful of the showy-flowered gums belong to Western 
Australia, most of the species having a very limited range. The best known 
of these, the splendid scarlet-flowered gum (E. ficifolia) , is known only from 
a single locality about seventy miles from Albany. Another striking species 
is E. macrocar pa, a shrub of moderate size, whose stems and broad leaves 
are thickly covered with a white bloom, and whose solitary flowers, as 
big as a hollyhock, form big pompons of scarlet stamens. This species has 
broad, horizontal leaves like the juvenile foliage of the common blue gum, 
probably a permanent retention of the primitive leaf form. 
A most interesting visit was made to Albany, on the South Coast. I 
had the good fortune to have as my traveling companion and guide Mr. 
C. E. Lane-Poole, Conservator of Forests. I am under great obligations 
to Mr. Lane-Poole, as well as other government officers, to whom I am 
indebted for many courtesies which greatly facilitated my work. Professor 
Sir Edgeworth David of the University of Sydney joined us, and the two 
days spent in the Albany district were among the most delightful and 
profitable of my Australian experiences. 
While many species noted about Perth were found here, a great many 
were peculiar to the Albany district. The number of species within a small 
area was amazing, and it is probable that nowhere in the world could a 
greater number of species be found within an equal area. 
