South Australia - its history, productions, and natural resources (1883) (14782139345)

Identifier: saustraliaitshis00stow (find matches)
Title: South Australia : its history, productions, and natural resources
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Stow, Jefferson Pickman, 1830-1908
Subjects:
Publisher: Adelaide : E. Spiller, govt. printer
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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orests is mostly represented by thefollowing genera, viz., Correa, Alyxia, Prostranthera, Grevillea, Hakea,Isopuyon, Exocnrpi/s, Acacia, Banksia, Cassia, Calythrix, Pommaderis,Leucdpogon, Leptospermum, Dnviesia, Dillicyma, hutaxia, Platylhicum,Pultenaea, and shrubby Eucalypts. The beautiful genus Epacns, which is only represented in SouthAustralia by one species. E. impressa, Labil., frequently covers wholemountain ridges and declivities: when in bloom the different shades ofcolor of its flowers produce an effect not easily described. The most prominent and striking efFect of the mountain forest regionis produced by the grass trees, XantJwrrhoea qundranyulata, F. Muell. ;and semiplana, F. Muell. These plants have a peculiar grotesqueappearance of a type unknown in other countries, at once arresting everytravellers attention by their strangeness. They appear mostly on the ridges and declivities of rocky and stonyhills, almost devoid of any other vegetation, and are also found on sortie
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ITS FLORA. 151 wooded lands, but never on the plains. Xanthorrhoea qtiadranyulatagrows from 10 to 12 feet high, often with a trunk about one foot oreighteen inches in diameter, and the flower stalk from 6 to 10 feethigh. Sometimes specimens arc found repeatedly branched in a dicho-tomous manner, all the branches of equal thickness, which gives them amost grotesque appearance. This species appears only in hilly districtson the most rocky declivities ; they drive their straggling roots into thecrevices of the rocks several feet down amongst the accumulatedvegetable soil. The grass trees are of slow growth ; the largest specimenmust be several hundred years old. The second species, Xanthorrhoeasemiplana, is often found at the base of the hills in sandy soil; it formsits stem underground, which extends often two to three feet before thefew straggling roots appear, and the leaves lie close on the ground.This species is also of an ornamental character. The valuable brownish-yellow resinous