Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume II Part 50

Upon the North-west Coast, particularly in the parallels of 14 and 15 degrees South, where an exotic feature (if the usual characteristic of the Flora of other countries might in this case be so termed) is as manifest, and is as strongly blended with the pure Australian character (Eucalyptus and Acacia) in its general vegetation, as on any other parts of those sh.o.r.es; Jacksonia and Gompholobium, genera of Papilionaceae, with distinct stamens, almost limited to the parallel of Port Jackson and the South Coast, were observed: Daviesia, almost wholly restricted to the higher Australian lat.i.tudes, has been remarked on the North Coast. Of Lomentaceae, Bauhinia, Caesalpinia, and the emigrant genus Guilandina, are all of intratropical existence in New South Wales, as also upon the North-west Coast; but Ca.s.sia, although it has an equal extensive range in the equinoctial parts of New Holland, has also been recently traced as far in the interior, on the parallel of Port Jackson, as the meridian of 146 degrees East.

EUPHORBIACEAE. The Herbarium contains thirty-three plants of this very numerous order, whose maximum seems decidedly to exist in India and equinoctial America. The whole of the Australian species are referable to established Linnean genera, of which Croton and Phyllanthus are most remarkable and numerous, existing on all the intratropical sh.o.r.es of Terra Australis, but by no means limited to them, both genera, together with Euphorbia and Jatropha, being found in the parallel of Port Jackson; and Croton exists likewise at the southern extreme of Van Diemen's Land, which is probably the limit of the genus on that hemisphere.

A Tragia (scarcely distinct from a species indigenous in India) is sparingly scattered on the East and North Coasts; and Acalypha has been remarked on these, as well as the north-western sh.o.r.es.

PITTOSPOREAE. Of this small family, whose characters and limits were first described by Mr. Brown, there are sixteen species in the Herbarium of these voyages, referable to Bursaria, Billardiera, Pittosporum, and two unpublished genera.

Billardiera, whose species are wholly volubilous, and which are not found north of the parallel of Port Jackson, is frequent on the South-west Coast, and has been recently remarked on the West Coast of Van Diemen's Land. Bursaria on the other hand, appearing limited to New South Wales, has been traced within the tropic to lat.i.tude 19 degrees South on those eastern sh.o.r.es, and although the genus Pittosporum is even more extensively diffused on that coast, it has not been met with upon the north-western sh.o.r.es, whilst the islands off the West Coast furnished me with two new species.

DIOSMEAE, although very frequent in the higher lat.i.tudes of Terra Australis, where they are so frequent as to give a peculiar character to their vegetable productions, is comparatively rare within the tropic; for upon the East Coast Eriostemon and Phebalium appear to be the only genera, the latter having been recently discovered, in about lat.i.tude 20 degrees South.

With some undescribed species of Boronia, a new genus allied to Eriostemon has been observed on the north-western sh.o.r.es, in the parallel of 15 degrees South, having a remarkable pinnatified fimbriated calyx.

Of the related family ZYGOPHYLLEAE (an order proposed by Mr. Brown to be separated from the Rutaceae of Jussieu) Tribulus is frequent on the tropical sh.o.r.es of New Holland, and a species of Zygophyllum, with linear conjugate leaves and tetrapterous fruit, was remarked upon an island off Shark's Bay, on the West Coast.

MELIACEAE. The several genera of this order, whose maximum is in the equinoctial parts of America, differ from each other in the form of the remarkable cylindrical nectarium, the situation or insertion of the antherae upon it, as well as the character of its almost wholly capsular fruit. This structure of nectarium is most striking in Turraea, of which a species was observed upon the East Coast, far within the tropic; where also, as well as on all the other equinoctial sh.o.r.es of the continent, Carapa, more remarkable on account of the valvular character of its capsules, and the magnitude and irregular figure of its nuts, is very general, and probably not distinct from the plant (C. moluccensis, Lam.) of Rumphius, who has given us a figure in his Herbarium Amboinense volume 3 table 61, 62.

SAPINDACEAE. Of the very few plants referred to the family in the Herbarium, two genera are only worthy of remark here, the one an Ornitrophe, found on the East Coast, in about lat.i.tude 35 degrees, as also within the tropic; and the other, which appears to belong to Stadmannia, was discovered upon the same coast, in lat.i.tude 31 degrees South, the type of the genus being the bois de fer of the French colonists, a timber tree indigenous at the Island of Mauritius.

MALVACEAE, Juss. Tiliaceae, Juss. Sterculiaceae, Vent. b.u.t.tnericeae, Brown. These several families, of which the first is by far the most extensive, have been viewed by Mr. Brown, as so many allied orders of one natural cla.s.s, to which the general t.i.tle of Malvaceae might be applied.

About thirty-six species of these orders collectively, are preserved in the present Herbarium, referable at least to eleven genera, of which nine are most abundant in (and form a characteristic feature of) the botany of India, and the equinoctial parts of South America. Fourteen species of Hibiscus and Sida were observed on the intratropical Coasts of Australia, beyond which also, on the opposite sh.o.r.es of the continent, each genus has been remarked. One species of Bombax with polyandrous flowers, and subspherical obtusely pentagonal capsules, was discovered upon the East Coast, in about lat.i.tude 14 degrees South, and on nearly the western extreme of the same parallel, it appeared much more abundant. Of Sterculia which is scarcely to be found beyond the tropics in other countries, a species exists in New South Wales in the lat.i.tude of 34 degrees, on which parallel it is more frequent in the western interior, and in that direction it has been traced to the distance of three hundred miles from the sea-coast. The genus is also found on the North and North-west Coasts, where the species a.s.sume more particularly the habits of their congeners in India. Among the plants of this family in the Herbarium is a species of Helicteris (as the genus stands at present) which was observed on the North-west Coast bearing fruit, wanting the contortion that characterizes the genus.

This plant, together with three other described species, having straight capsules, may hereafter be separated from that Linnean genus, and const.i.tute a new one of themselves. Grewia, Corchorus, Triumfetta, and Waltheria, have been observed upon the North-west Coast, where also Abroma, hitherto limited to the tropical parts of New South Wales, has been discovered bearing flowers and young fruit. One species of Commersonia was gathered at widely-different parts of the north-western sh.o.r.es, and Lasiopetalum, whose species are more general at both extremes of the parallel of the colony of Port Jackson, has been also seen just within the tropic on the East Coast, and at Dirk Hartog's Island, off Shark's Bay, on the opposite sh.o.r.e.

CAPPARIDES. At least ten species of Capparis have been discovered upon the coasts of Terra Australis, for the most part within the tropic, but of these the fructification of two are wanting. A few have been detected on the East Coast, but they are more frequent and various in their species upon the north-western sh.o.r.es of the continent. Within an area on this extensive coast, not exceeding four degrees of longitude, on the parallel of 15 degrees South, a tree of very remarkable growth and habit, has been traced, having all the external form and bulk of Adansonia of the western sh.o.r.es of Africa. At the respective period of visiting those parts of the North-west Coast, this gouty tree had previously cast its foliage of the preceding year, which is of quinary insertion, but it bore ripe fruit, which is a large elliptical pedicellated unilocalar capsule (a bacca corticosa) containing many seeds enveloped in a dry pithy substance. Its flowers, however, have never been discovered, but from the characters of the fruit, it was (upon discovery) referred to this natural family. M. Du Pet.i.t Thouars has formed a new genus of Capparis pauduriformis of Lamarck, a plant of the Island of Mauritius, which he has named Calyptranthus. It has one division of the calyx so formed, that by its arcuated concavity (before expansion) it conceals the whole flower, and the other portions of the calyx; and should this genus be adopted by future botanists, a second species has been recently discovered upon Dirk Hartog's Island, although of remarkably different habit.

Cleome has been observed only in the equinoctial parts of Australia, and like Capparis, several species exist on the North-west Coast, being limited to C. viscosa in New South Wales.

Drosera, which Jussieu a.s.sociates with these genera is generally diffused, being found within the tropic, at Endeavour River, and on the North-west Coast; at Port Jackson, and at the southern extremes of Van Diemen's Land.

DILLENIACEAE. To that Australian portion of the order lately enumerated by M. Decandolle, the present Herbarium offers, in addition, only two species of the genus Hemistemma of M. Du Pet.i.t Thouars. The one discovered on the North-west Coast, and allied to H. angustifolium of Mr.

Brown; the other proving also new, but approaching in character the doubtful species, H. leschenaultii of Decandolle, and was discovered upon Rottnest Island, off the western coast of the continent, and is the first certain species of the genus, that is not limited to a tropical existence.

In addition to what has been advanced in respect to certain natural orders that appear in the Herbarium, formed under the stated circ.u.mstances, a slight mention might be made of other detached genera, or families sparingly observed on these coasts, that were more particularly investigated during the progress of the late voyages; but as these several plants form portions of orders so extremely limited, and in themselves presenting nothing remarkable in their internal structure, or external habit, a few remarks on a general comparison of the vegetation of the North-west Coast, with the other sh.o.r.es of Terra Australis, will conclude this notice.

It is very necessary to premise, that the plants observed and collected upon the North-west Coast, during the late voyages, are not to be considered as even a distant approach to an entire Flora of that extensive line of sh.o.r.e; since the long-established droughts of the seasons (as already remarked) in which the greater part of that coast was visited, had wholly destroyed plants of annual duration, with most of the Gramineae, and had indeed generally affected the ma.s.s of its herbaceous vegetation. The collections, therefore, can simply be viewed as a gleaning, affording such general outlines of characteristic feature, as will enable the botanist to trace its affinity to the more minutely defined vegetation of the other equinoctial sh.o.r.es of the continent, as well as perceive its general, and, in some instances, almost total want of relation to the botany of other parts, in the more temperate or higher lat.i.tudes, where certain striking peculiarities of the Australian Flora more particularly exist.

Upon a general comparison of those collections that were thus formed on the North-west Coast, with the plants of the North and East Coasts, aided also by some few observations made during the voyages, it appears that (with the exception of Gompholobium, Boronia, Kennedia, and one or two unpublished species not referred to any family) the genera (of which several are proper to India) are the same, although the species are very distinct upon the several coasts.

Notwithstanding an ident.i.ty of genera has been remarked upon their opposite sh.o.r.es, there are, nevertheless, certain others, frequent upon the East Coast, that appear wholly wanting on the north-western sh.o.r.es: of these, the existence of some, even in the tropical parts of New South Wales, seems governed by the primary formation of the coast, its mountainous structure, and consequent permanency of moisture in a greater or less degree; namely, almost all the genera of Filices, the parasitical Orchideae, Piper, Dracontium and Calladium (genera of Aroideae) Commelina and Aneilema, Calamus and Seaforthia, h.e.l.lenia a solitary Australian genus of Scitamineae, some genera of Rubiaceae, particularly Psychotria and Coffea, certain genera of Asphodeleae, as Cordyline, and a genus allied to it, whose fructification is at length obtained, a solitary plant of Melastomeae, and an individual Nymphea.

Other genera also, but little influenced by those local circ.u.mstances of situation on the East Coast, that are excluded from the opposite sh.o.r.es, are Leucopogon (the only equinoctial genus of Epacrideae observed during the late voyages) the families Bignoniaceae, Jasmineae, the genus Erythrina, and of Coniferae, Araucaria of Norfolk Island. This absence of several orders of plants on the north-western sh.o.r.es, existing in New South Wales, or opposite coast, as well as the consideration (at the same time) of the evident causes of such a disparity of species on the former coast, would suggest the opinion, that such plants alone of other parts of the continent are indigenous to the North-west Coast, as are capable of sustaining themselves in a soil subjected to seasons of protracted parching droughts. This may apply to some species upon that coast, but it cannot be reduced to a general conclusion; for, on the one hand, it is singular so few of the plants of the South and South-west Coasts, and particularly that none other of their genera of Proteaceae (than those already mentioned) found altogether in an arid soil, should have been discovered throughout any part of its extensive sh.o.r.e; whilst, on the other hand, at a peculiar structure of a small and limited portion of that coast, in the vicinity of York Sound, a sufficiency of shade was observed to be actually produced by the unusually broken character of the country, to favour the nourishment and growth of certain plants alone to be seen beneath the shade of dense forests. These species were Myristica insipida, discovered by Mr. Brown, on one of the Prince of Wales group of islands on the North Coast; Cryptocarya triplinervis, Brown; bearing ripe fruit, Abroma fastuosa; and an undescribed Eugenia.

Although the several genera of plants lately observed on the north-western sh.o.r.es are also frequent in other equinoctial parts of the continent, there is, among the many species which are absolutely proper to that coast, a Capparis of such extraordinary habit, as to form a feature in the landscape of a limited extent of its sh.o.r.es, in the enormous bulk of its stem and general ramification, bearing a striking a.n.a.logy to the Adansonia of the west coast of Africa.

The results of such observations on the vegetation as could only be made in a general way, at parts approaching each extreme of the North-west Coast, show their little affinity to each other; for the northern extremity partakes more fully of that feature of the line of coast contiguous to it, which (as already remarked) extends along the north-western sh.o.r.es, declines materially at, and in the vicinity of their southern limits, where the characteristic vegetation of the south, and perhaps the west, coasts has more particularly been found. Besides Eucalyptus and Acacia, which are abundant on every sh.o.r.e, and generally diffused throughout those parts of the interior that have been penetrated, there is another genus almost equally dispersed, which is, however, on the North-west Coast reduced to three species. This is Dodonaea, whose maximum is certainly in New South Wales, within and beyond the tropic, upon the coast, and generally in the interior of the country, extending also to the southern extremity of Van Diemen's Land.

Our very limited knowledge of the Flora of this vast continent (excepting of a part east of longitude 144 degrees, and included between the parallels of 31 and 35 degrees in New South Wales) is entirely confined to the vegetation of its immediate sh.o.r.es, upon every distinct coast of which, landings, more or less frequent, and under various circ.u.mstances, have been effected; although of all, very considerable portions remain unexplored, and of the line of West Coast (properly so denominated) the sh.o.r.es of Shark's Bay, and some few parts south of it, have alone been scientifically investigated. The interior within the tropic remains entirely in obscurity; the continental defect of a want of large streams having a distant source, to aid a penetration to the internal parts of the country, together with other effectual obstacles, draw at present a veil, and forbid all research into its Natural History and character, which will not be removed for very considerable periods (perhaps ages) yet to come!

It was the general remark made during a former expedition in the interior of New South Wales, that no absolutely entire change takes place in the vegetation east of the meridian of the new settlement named Bathurst; but that the plants of the coast were more or less frequent at a hundred and fifty miles from the sea, although in a country estimated at about two thousand feet above its level. Having to this circ.u.mstance added a remarkable and obvious sameness (arising from an extensive dispersion) of a vein of vegetation in a large tract of country, it may be inquired, how far these facts might, when applied to other parallels, identify a certain portion of the Flora of the interior, and that of the sea-coast in the same lat.i.tude; or, in other terms, how far the botany of the coast indicates the general feature of the vegetation to a certain limit, in the interior on the same parallel? Favourable opportunities were afforded me, to compare the vegetation of opposite coasts within the tropic, at the eastern and western extremes of a particular parallel; and the results of such a comparison identified many species on the two coasts. I have annexed a list of those plants that are common to the North-west and East Coasts in and about the parallel of 15 degrees South, from a contemplation of which, together with the above remarks, and a further comparison of the species with those of the sh.o.r.es of the Gulf of Carpentaria, through which that degree of lat.i.tude pa.s.ses, might not a general idea of some portion of the Flora of the expanse of intermediate interior (far beyond the reach of actual investigation) be presumed?

A few observations relative to the geographical range of certain genera and species, hitherto considerably circ.u.mscribed, will close this notice.

The genus Panda.n.u.s has ever been viewed by botanists as equinoctial; nor was it till recently ascertained satisfactorily, that one of its species (P. pedunculatus, Brown) exists on the sh.o.r.es of Port Macquarie in New South Wales, in lat.i.tude 31 degrees South: and I have been credibly informed, that the same plant is frequent in the vicinity of Port Stephens, which is at least a degree to the southward of the above parallel. The lat.i.tude of 32 degrees South may be considered the utmost extreme of ranges from the equator of the genus in Terra Australis, on the opposite sh.o.r.e of which, as also in all other countries, it has not been remarked beyond the tropics.

The palms of Terra Australis, which (as previously observed) are remarkably limited on the north-western sh.o.r.es, have a very considerable diffusion on the North and East Coasts, and have even a more general dispersion on the latter sh.o.r.es, than has been allowed them formerly.

Seaforthia is frequent in dense forests on the East Coast, almost to lat.i.tude 35 degrees South, where it exhibits all the tropical habits a.s.sumed on the northern sh.o.r.es, although the difference of climate, and consequent temperature, are abundantly obvious. On the other hand, a palm of very robust growth, with large flabelliform fronds, and spinous foot-stalks, was remarked at the head of Liverpool River, in lat.i.tude 12 degrees South, on the North Coast; and although without fructification, no doubt existed of its being the Corypha australis, hitherto limited to the sh.o.r.es and vicinity of Port Jackson.

Araucaria excelsa. The Norfolk Island pine, which, without doubt, must have been particularly noticed by the celebrated circ.u.mnavigator Captain Cook, in 1770, on the discovery of New South Wales, although the circ.u.mstance of the very general existence of a pine upon the islands and main of that coast, north of the Percy Isles, does not appear to be mentioned in the accounts of that particular voyage, has a far more extensive range upon that sh.o.r.e than has been hitherto understood. During the Mermaid's voyages, Araucaria was observed in the vicinity of Mount Warning, in New South Wales, which lies in the parallel of Norfolk Island (29 degrees South); thence northerly it was very sparingly seen towards the tropic, within which, however, as far as lat.i.tude 14 degrees, it is very abundant, forming upon several islands the only timber. This is probably the nearest approach of the species to the equinoctial line; and although it occupies an area of nine hundred miles, it is very probably limited in Terra Australis to its immediate sh.o.r.es; and, as appears to be the case with Panda.n.u.s, exists only within the influence of the sea air.

Calladium macrorhizon, Willd., formerly observed by Sir Joseph Banks, at Endeavour River, on the East Coast, has been recently detected in moist woods, in the country off which the Five Islands are situate, extending on that sh.o.r.e to lat.i.tude 35 degrees South: and Schelhammera multiflora, Br., a delicate plant of Melanthaceae, discovered likewise at Endeavour River, abounds in shady forests, in lat.i.tude 31 degrees, upon the same extensive coast.

The following plants, formerly considered as indigenous only in Van Diemen's Land, have been recently ascertained to exist also in New South Wales, in or about the parallel of the colony of Port Jackson.

Croton viscosum, Labill., originally discovered on the South-west Coast, was seen in the interior, as far to the westward of the colony as longitude 146 degrees East.

Croton quadripart.i.tum, Labill., was observed in longitude 148 degrees.

Goodia latifolia, Salisb., was remarked sparingly in the interior, in the meridian of 147 degrees 30 minutes East: and Daviesia latifolia of Mr.

Brown is very frequent in societies upon plains at Bathurst, in longitude 149 degrees East, where also Eryngium vesiculosum, of Labillardiere, was observed.

Aster argophyllus and obovatus, Labill. These two species were described by Mons. Labillardiere, from specimens gathered in the southern extremes of the above island, and have been lately seen tolerably frequent in a remarkable tract of country, in lat.i.tude 34 degrees, on the limit of the colony, where the former a.s.sumes a robust, arborescent habit. Aster phlogopappus, of the same eminent author, was recently remarked upon the more elevated parts of the Blue Mountain Range, on the margin of a remarkable cataract.

A LIST OF PLANTS COMMON TO THE EAST AND NORTH-WEST COASTS OF TERRA AUSTRALIS, IN AND ABOUT THE PARALLEL OF FIFTEEN DEGREES SOUTH, WHERE THE BREADTH OF CONTINENT EXCEEDS 1800 MILES.

Gleichenia Hermanni, Br.

Eriocaulon fistulosum, Br.

Philydrum lanuginosum, Gaertn.

Flagellaria indica, L.

Dioscorea bulbifera, L.

*? Panda.n.u.s pedunculatus, Br.

Cycas angulata, Br.

Santalum oblongatum, Br.

Exocarpus latifolia, Br.

Persoonia falcata, Br.

Grevillea mimosoides, Br.

Hakea arborescens, Br.

Buchnera ramosissima, Br.

Adenosma coerulea, Br.

Orthostemon er.e.c.t.u.m, Br.

Tabernaemontana orientalis, Br.

Carissa ovata, Br.

Strychnos lucida, Br.

Alyxia obtusifolia, Br.

Ipomoea longifiora, Br.

Ipomoea denticulata, Br.