THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 223 
climatic variation. This plant prefers a moist shady position, 
and does its best work under bush-house conditions. 
Fieldia Australis, Cunn.—A plant which, though not 
rare, is interesting as a monotypic species of a genus endemic 
in Australia, which, in its turn is the only genus representing 
the Nat. Ord. Gesneraceae in N.S. Wales. This semi. 
epiphyte is a shade and moisture loving plant, clinging to 
trees or damp rocks at the bottom of deep gullies. It may 
be seen to perfection near the ‘‘Tables’ at the bottom of 
Leura Falls, scrambling about the rocks in company with 
Rubus moluccanus, L., one of our ‘‘Brambles.’’ Attention 
is drawn to the plant by its peculiar foliage, the opposing 
leaves being unequal, the larger ones as much as 3in long, 
while the smaller leaves in some cases do not exceed din. in 
length. 
Myoporum debile, R. Br.—A small undershrub with a 
fairly wide range in N.S. Wales. It is not a showy plant, 
but its scattered, bell-shaped flowers and purple stems coy- 
ered with glandular protruberances give it a somewhat novel 
appearance. ‘This species was cultivated in England as a° 
greenhouse subject, prior to the year 1820, by the firm of 
Loddiges and Sons, nurserymen, who were instrumental in 
introducing many of our Australian plants to. British gar- 
dens. Grows freely from seeds and is hardy in the Port 
Jackson district. 
Senecio vagus, F.v. M.—While collecting at Narrabeen, 
a plant was noticed which in habit seemed familiar, but the 
sparsely furnished flowers appeared out of place in the 
general ensemble. It proved upon examination to he a 
Senecio. By the usual process of elimination it was reduced 
to one of two species, viz.; 5S. vagus, F. v. M., of 8. amygdali- 
folius, F.v. M. An important character by which these two 
species are separated (according to our ‘‘Botanical Classic,’’ 
the Fl. Austr.) is the number of ray flcwers, about 10 to 1 
in S. vagus, and rarely 6 or often only 3 or 4 in 8S. amygdali- 
fclius. The specimens under notice had invariably 8 ray 
flowers, a number exactly half-way between the maximum (6) 
of 8S. amygdalifolius, and the minimum (10) of S. vagus. 
Fortunately for the systematist there are other characters by 
which these two species may be distinguished, and the speci- 
mens were definitely placed under S. vagus. This is undoubt- 
edly a case of the suppression of the ligulate lamina of some 
of the ray florets, known Teratologically as ‘“‘Meiophylly of 
the Corolla,’’ apparently arising from a lack of flower-pro- 
ducing nutrients in the soil. Evidence of this is given by 
the more or less attenuated condition of the remaining rays. 
This species grows freely from seeds and the flowers are not 
unattractive, but it is not a desirable subject for cultivation 
in our gardens on account of the unpleasant rancid odour 
which in common with many of its congeners is emitted by 
this plant. 
