FLORA. The flora of Australia as a whole is very distinctive, and, moreover, is of two very marked and characteristic types: That of the moist east and north coasts, which is tropical in its luxuriance, and that of the interior, and the south and west coasts, which is that of the desert. Upwards of 12,000 species of plants are found, of which number not less than 7000 are peculiar to the continent. The leaves of many of the plants are of tough, fibre-like consistency, and some of them are needle-shaped; thus rapid evaporation is prevented, for they do not collect the heat rays as do the broad-leaved plants. The foliage is somewhat monotonous after the man ner of regions where specific types prevail. Aus tralia possesses a great extent of territory in which the soil would produce a rich vegetation if only the proper watering could be accom plished.
Eastern and northern Queensland, with its moist tropical climate, produces a dense plant growth of Indo-Malayan character, such as tree ferns, bamboos, palms, and canes, with numerous parasitic plants and orchids. The palm and the pandanus (of the screw-pine family), with their aerial roots and palmy branches, are distinctive forms of this section. The bottle-tree also, with its curious shape, deserves mention. The grass tree is also found in the eastern Australian re gion. Tn Victoria the vegetation is almost tropi cal in its richness in the mountain regions, but on the plains is somewhat sparse, the trees grow ing in park-like clumps. Here the eucalyptus reaches its greatest height' (exceeding 400 feet), tree ferns present their wonderful growth, and numerous small ferns aid in giving a peculiar aspect to the vegetation. Fan palms and acacias also flourish. Grass and salt brush are dis linetive types of lowland flora. In that great central region known as South Australia and Northern Territory there is a sparse vegetation, the scrub or malle being general, together with
.sedges, grasses, etc., as well as the grass tree, thorny plants, and a stunted growth of eucalyp tus. Thickets of the paper-bark tree also occur. This growth, known as the 'Bush,' is impene trable by man in some regions. On the coast are found mangoes.
Tn July (mid-winter) the following vegeta tion conditions prevail: in Northern Australia, along the borders of the Gulf of Carpentaria, the vegetation is tropical in character with no cessa tion of the growing period. To the south of all the northern part of the continent, is a less rich tropical vegetation with a cessa tion during the dry season. In the southern 'part of the eastern coast and the eastern and western parts of the southern coast are ever green trees and a bushy growth, with a short period during which vegetation is at a standstill. In the remainder of the continent are grass lands, bushy steppes and desert areas in which the vegetation rests at this time of year (the winter time of the Southern Hemisphere). In January (mid-summer) on the northern coast the narrow strip of rich tropical vegetation suf fers no interruption in growth, and in the belt of less rich tropical vegetation to the south of it, vegetation is in its full development during the rainy season. The vegetation in the southeastern and southwestern parts is much restricted by the summer drought. In the interior the steppes have their summer verdure in regions where there is sufficient rain, but in the southwest the principal season of vegetative growth is from September to October, during the southern spring.