Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 Western Australia, Series 3
Volume 7
Number 3 May-June, 1958 Article 18
5-1958
Book review - How to know Western Australian wildflowers - Part Book review - How to know Western Australian wildflowers - Part 2
2
Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3
Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
(1958) "Book review - How to know Western Australian wildflowers - Part 2," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3: Vol. 7: No. 3, Article 18.
Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3/vol7/iss3/18
This article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agriculture at Digital Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 by an authorized administrator of Digital Library. For more information, please contact library@dpird.wa.gov.au.
Book Review
HOW TO KNOW WESTERN AUSTRALIAN WILDFLOWERS-Part 2
By W. E. BLACKALL and B. J. GRIEVE Following the publication of Part I of
"How to know Western Australian Wild- flowers," by W. E. Blackall, we have now received a copy of Part II by W. E. Blackall and B. J. Grieve.
This volume, smaller than Part I, con- tains keys and diagrams of the plants found in South-Western Australia belong- ing to the following families: Dil- leniaceae, Elatinaceae, Frankeniaceae, Goodeniaceae, Guttiferae, Malvaceae, Lythraceae, Rhamnaceae, Sapindaceae, Sterculiaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Tiliaceae and Violaceae.
There are a number of good coloured plates of some of the more attractive plants, and a key to the families which has been modified from that which ap- peared in Part I.
We welcome this little book which will do much towards creating an interest in the flora for the man in the street who wishes to discover the identity of the plants in which he is interested. An im- provement on Part I is the employment of much better diagrams and sketches for which we are indebted to Miss J. Rayner, who faithfully depicts the characters re- quired for the easy recognition of the plants concerned. These diagrams are simple, clear, and of faithful delineation, and supply the deficiencies of the text.
In compiling the work the authors have leaned heavily on the previously published work of Bentham in the "Flora Austra- liensis," and more particularly on the monographs of Krause (Goodeniaceae) and Summerhayes (Frankeniaceae), and we would like to have seen a treatment based on original observations which would not only have corrected certain mistakes, but perhaps resulted in more
t
easily-recognised characters on which to work. The distribution of the species is not well handled; here and there we find species from regions farther north than the area covered by the map which indi- cates the geographical scope of the book, and this must lead to some confusion if not to errors in determining the plants.
Another unfortunate error is that al- though the family Vitaceae is included, the curious statement that "no species are normally present in the temperate regions of Western Australia" despite the fact that the native grape is a fairly common plant between Shark Bay and the Hill River.
The book does not claim to be a Flora, but the authors have seen fit to make certain nomenclatural changes, and in instances have substituted synonyms for the better known and valid specific names of common species. A number of un- published names appear in Part I, taken from specimens in the State Herbarium, which are nomina nuda and as such have no official standing. Fortunately only one or two of these have been seen in Part II, but it would have been desirable to have acknowledged these rather than included authors' names which are quite unintel- ligible, such as Plagianthus Gardneri Gardn. MS. No plant of course could have been so named.
Apart from these criticisms the book has a definite value for students who are interested in the plants of Western Aus- tralia, and for whom there is as yet no official Flora. The inclusion in the index of general notes on distribution, consider- ably facilitates the task of identification, and its omission from Part I is un- fortunate.
349
Journal of agriculture Vol. 7 1958
TREES AND STUMPS
and doing speedily what is otherwise slew and laborious work
Tremendous power exerted by
The Monkey Grubber
tears them quickly and cleanly from the earth with roots intact. A thorough and workmanlike job, and the unrivalled method of dealing with your timbered land.
A GRUBBING MACHINE equipped with cable of correct length, size and weight for ease of handling and embodying such features as multiple speeds, automatic releasing
gear, rope shortener, snatch block, and simple sturdy rope couplings.
Each one a time saver and a labour saver, and to which the effectiveness gained by portability and ease of operation must be added.
With the MONKEY GRUBBER a day's work can be done in an hour.
It will surely be to your advantage to know about it from THE JACK PEOPLE
TREWHELLA BROS. Pty. Ltd.
TRENTHAM, VIC.
W.A. Stockists: HARRIS SCARFE & SANDOVERS LTD.
McLEAN BROS. & RIGG LTD. CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SERVICES LTD.
J. & W. BATEMAN LTD. THE BAIRDS CO. LTD. McPHERSON'S LTD.
Please mention the "Journal ol Agriculture ol W.A.," when writing to advertisers
Journal of agriculture Vol. 7 1958
