THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 211 
ciliata of Bentham, is not the A. ciliata of Linnaeus, as the 
latter is a native of India and of annual duration only, 
whereas the Australian plants are of perennial growth ag is 
well known to Australian botanists. Dr. Stapf considers 
that the Australian specimens named by Bantham as 4. 
ciliata, are the same as the plants found in Africa, and origin- 
ally described under the name A. imberbis, Retz., about 
1786, and that A. frondosa, of Robert Brown and Bentham, 
are identical with A. argwens of Willdenow. 
Professor Edouard Hackel, a German specialist on 
grasses, included the Kangaroo Grass as well as the closely 
allied species found in Africa, under the genus Themeda, 
which was founded by Forskal in 1775, just about four years 
prior to the genus Anthistiria, founded by Linnaeus in 1779. 
The specific name Arguens, is retained by Hackel for 
the “Leafy Kangaroo Grass’’ found in the northern parts of 
Australia, but the “‘Common Kangaroo Grass’’ is divided 
into two sub-species, and four forms as follows: —Zhemeda 
Forskalui, Hack, var. vulgaris, which included some West Aus- 
tralian specimens, collected by Preiss; and 7. Forskalii, Hack, 
var. amberbis, which includes three forms as follows :— 
(1) typica, The Port Jackson specimens. 
(2) caespitosa. Some West Australian forms. 
(3) grandiflora. Some Tasmanian forms. 
It will be seen from the above that there is a wide differ- 
ence of opinion between three very distinguished botanists, 
and that there is need for further. investigation in connection 
with the “Kangaroo Grass’’ which when properly worked out 
may be found to consist of more than two species. These 
forms may also be of extreme importance to the Hybridist, 
as there should be no difficulty in crossing the various forms, 
which are evidently very closely interwoven with each other, 
if not specifically distinct. 
SOME INTERESTING SPECIES OF THE NAT. ORD. 
GOODENTACEAE. 
By A. A. Hamilton. 
Goodenia dimorpha, Maiden and Betche. (Blackheath.) 
A plant with rosetted basal leaves which are doubtless the re- 
sult of environment. Growing in unstable boggy soil, and 
subject to the pressure of strong winds, the flattened appressed 
leaves act as a halance to the plant to prevent its overthrow. 
A named var. of this species (var. angustifolia) by the same 
authors, comes from the National Park. Both the species 
