BY THE EEV. DR. "WOOLLS, D.D., F.L.S. 707 



The orders which do not extend to Victoria are the Melasto- 

 macere, Passiflorre, Rhizophorea, Combretacerc, Samydacese, and 

 Cornacepe, whilst the third, fourth, and fifth of these are not 

 represented in New South Wales. Of the Myrtacece, 19 genera, 

 including 129 species, are indigenous in New South Wales, and 

 constitute by far the greater portion of the forest trees. The 

 genus Eucalyptus alone numbers 50 species, and these compre- 

 hend all those trees popularly known as Gum Trees, Box, 

 Blackbutt, Woolly Butt, Stringy Bark, Bloodwood, Mahogany, 

 Peppermints, and Iron-Bark. Angophora or Apple has 4 species, 

 Syncarpia or Turpentine 2, Myrtus 5, and Eugenia 4 ; whilst 

 the species of Leptospermum, Melaleuca, and Callistemon, which 

 are known by the names of Tea-tree, Bottle-brush, &c, 

 amount to 33. Whether considered in the extensiveness of its' 

 range, the commercial and medicinal value of its timbers, barks 

 and resins, the beauty of its flowers or the utility of its fruits, 

 the order of Myrtaceas is certainly the most important in 

 Australia. The species divide themselves into those which are 

 fleshy-fruited, and those which are capsular. Of the former, 

 the most valuable occur in the Tropical parts of the continent, 

 very few occurring in New South Wales, and only one 

 (Eugenia Smithii, Poirs.), extending to Victoria. In Queensland 

 the species of Eugenia (which genus, according to Mr. Bentham, 

 includes all the Myrtles that have fleshy fruits), are 14, whilst 

 4 only are common to New South Wales. The genera of this 

 section are for the most part Tropical, and are found both in 

 Asia and America ; but those which are capsular, (that is having 

 dry dehiscent fruits,) are nearly all peculiar to Australia. A few 

 species are found in New Caledonia and the Indian Archipelago, 

 whilst Metrosicleros and Zeptospermum are represented in New 

 Zealand, the former by M. diffusa (Smith) and If. villaosa (Smith), 

 and the latter by L. Scoparium (Smith), "the leaves of which 

 were used by Capt. Cook's Ships' Crews as tea, whence they 

 named it the tea-plant (Don)." It is remarkable that this 



