December i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



47t 



vessels, seems to indicate a marked distinction. E. cordata 

 was first noticed by Labillardiere, and subsequently by K. 

 Brown. 



(2.) E. ci-i/thronema is a small tree found towards the 

 remotest eastern soiu-ccs of Swan River, and also near 

 Mount Lindsay. This species, as its name implies, has red 

 filaments, which the Earon thinks may give it a place in 

 ornamental shrubberies ; whilst the leaves, which are very 

 full of oil-dots, are likely to be utilised for the purposes of 

 distillatiou. In reference to E. erythronema the author 

 makes the foUowiug interesting remarks : " This is one of 

 the enormous numbers of endemic plants for which the 

 vegetation of e.xtra-tropical "Western AustraUa is so remark- 

 able, the genus Eucalyptus formiug there no exception to 

 that rule, inasmuch as out of 36 well-marked extra-tropical 

 species kno^vu from there, 29 are not occurring in any 

 other portion of Australia !" The isolated character of 

 certain western genera is a problem yet to be solved, for 

 not only several of the Myrtaceas are limited to that 

 region, but also the large Proteaceous genus Dryandra. 



(3.) £". yamaphyUa is a species from Western Australia, 

 recently described by the Baron. It is not large, but its 

 opposite eounate leaves, chalky colouration of the foliage, 

 ami narrow membrane of the fertile seeds impart a pecuhar 

 character to the plant. The Baron regards the distinctive 

 character of the sterile and fertile seeds as remarkable, be- 

 cause such distinction is noticed in so few Eucalypts. It 

 is stated that the missionaries in Central Australia employ 

 the wood of E. gamophylla for various utensils, as it is 

 easily worked, and few other woods can be obtained in 

 that region. 



(4.) E. macrocai'pa is only a shrubby species, but it is 

 interesting as having orange-coloured or crimson flowers and 

 very large seed-vessels. It seems limited to Western Aus- 

 tralia, and occurs on sandy and gravelly soil. The first 

 notice of E. macrocarpa occm-s in Sir W. Hooker's " Jour- 

 nal of Botany for 1840 ;" and the late Mr. James Drum- 

 moud, the discoverer of it, reported it as having claims for 

 ornamental culture. The accomplished Miss North diu:ing 

 her late visit to these colonies prepared an oil-painting 

 of E. macrocarpa for the Art Gallery at Kew. 



(0.) E, prcis.-iuina is another small Eucalypt restricted 

 to south-west Australia, occupying generally stony localities 

 and showing a predilection for the limestone formation. 

 The flowers are somewhat large, usually two or three 

 together, and the filaments pure yellow. The Baron says 

 that this species always retains its bushy habit, and thus 

 may be kept manageable for glasshouses in colder countries, 

 the foliage and particularly the bright yellow filaments 

 rendering it well worthy of a place iu ornamental collections. 

 The specimens from which this Eucalypt was first des- 

 cribed were procured by Dr. L. Preiss, and hence the 

 specific name. 



(6.) i". pridnosa is a small tree, frequent in the arid 

 country around the Gulf of Carpentaria. It has opposite 

 leaves and resembles " the silver-leaved iron bark " of the 

 northern parts of New South Wales and Queensland. The 

 two trees are so similar in appearance that Dr. Leich- 

 hardt mentions them indiscriminately ; aud yet the species 

 differ not only in the texture of the bark, but also in 

 the openings of the anther, a technical distinction to 

 which Mr. Bentham attaches much importance. 



(7.) E. pnlveniUiita is the only species of the present 

 decade which is common to New South Wales and Victoria. 

 It has a resemblance to the tree popularly termed " apple,'' 

 and attains a height of 40 or 50 feet. Although, in the 

 minds of the colonists, this seems a well-defined species, 

 yet the Baron regards it as somewhat dubious, being 

 impressed with the idea that it may ultimately prove a 

 variety of E. Stnartiana, or a tree known as the " Camden 

 woolly butt." This is the only Eucalypt in Victoria which 

 has oppo.site leaves, aud hence it has received a full 

 elucidation. It is impossible to say, in the present stage 

 of inquiry, how far a geological formation and hybridiza- 

 tion may affect certain Eucalypts, but certainly the two 

 trees niipear distinct. 



8. E. pi/iiformi.-i belongs to Western and Southern Aus- 

 traha, occiu'riug for the most part in the eastern interior 

 of the former, and north of Fowler's Bay in the latter. 

 Mr. Tietkius, F.R.G.S., the companion of Mr. Giles, collected 

 specimens of this shrub near the Victoria Spring. Though 

 small in size, the flowers and seed-vessels are comparatively 



large, and the filaments are attractive on account of their 

 crimson colour. The specific name is derived from the 

 pear-shaped calyx. " E. jii/riformis has claims for ornamen- 

 tal culture, specially where iu an arid climate garden-copses 

 are required." 



9. E. santafoUa is a species defined by Baron Mueller, 

 and occurs near King George's Sound, in South Australia, 

 and on Kangaroo I.slaud. It is a mere shrub, restricted 

 to coast regions, and flowering when only a few feet high. 

 Though smaller, this Eucalypt resembles in many respects 

 the stringy bark near Sydney ; but the Baron remarks, that, 

 independently of other distinctions, the seedlings of E. 

 capittl/a, transmitted to him by the Rev. Dr. Woods, are 

 " star-hairy," and produce differently-shaped leaves. 



10. E. sepnJorr/i^j the last of the decade, is a species 

 recently described by the Baron. It is indigenous in S. W. 

 Australi.T, .and has a habit similar to that of the Weep- 

 ing Willow. In consequence of this strange-looking or 

 sombre habit, it is named " Sepulcralis," as it may here- 

 after add " another emblem of sadness to the tree-veget- 

 ation of cemeteries in climes similar to ours." In reference 

 to the pecuharities of this species, the Baron rennrks ; — 

 " The importance of the form and structure of the anthers 

 for diagnostic purposes was first recoginsed in the ' Fragm. 

 Phytogr. Aust.,' \ol. II., pp. 32 and 70, and these char- 

 acteri.stics have been well employed by Bentham for the 

 primary systematic grouping of the Eucaljrpts. But for 

 methods of arrangement also a carpologic system could 

 readily be elaborated with this advantage, that any species 

 might thus be defined from fruting specimens alone. . . . 

 E. iejiidcralh furnishes a good instance of the advantage 

 of a .system based primarily on fruit characters." 



From the above notices it will be seen that the 8th q. 

 decade of the Eucalyptographia opens some very inter- 

 esting que.stions for consideration. Some of the smallest 

 of our Eucalyirts have the largest flowers and seed-vessels, 

 and other species are extremely local in their character. 

 And then, again, we have species which do not exactly 

 suit the technical classificatiou of the Flora Au^tnt/iensis, 

 which it seems was first suggested by Baron Mueller, and 

 subsequently elaborated by Mr. Bentham. There can be 

 no doubt that the anthereal and cortical sy.stems of group- 

 ing are a great improvement on the old method of separ- 

 ating species according to the comparative length of the 

 operculum ; but there are difficulties in both systems. It 

 may, therefore, be of great importance to follow up the 

 suggestion of the Baron and initiate "a carpologic arrange- 

 ment," which would place together iu separate groups all 

 the known species according to the coufigm-ation of the 

 fruit, the nature of the values, and the peculiarity of the 

 seeds. If. indeed, it is as true in systematic Botany as 

 it is in religion " By their fruits ye shall know them," 

 here we have a national system of classification which 

 may lead to the solution of many difficiUtics. The figures 

 of the decade, with the sectional drawings, are well ex- 

 ecuted, and the getting up of the work is highly creditable 

 to the Government Printer of Victoria ; whilst the lucid 

 descriptions of the Baron are leading us gradually to the 

 clearing up of the clouds and darkness which have hitherto 

 rested on the genus Eucalyptus. It is a curious fact, that 

 whilst many in the colonies think lightly of the species, 

 and others are doing all they can to destroy them by 

 means of ringbarking, the labours of Baron Mueller are 

 cau.sing their properties to be known throughout the civil- 

 ized world ; and hence, wherever it is practicable, they are 

 being cultivated for medicinal, ornauiental, or industrial 

 purposes. Tliese colonies are much indebted to the eminent 

 botanist of Victoria for his exertions in developing their 

 vegetable resources, and he may rest assured that his name 

 will ever be a.ssociated with a flora which he h.as devoted 

 the last years of his life to elucidate. — Sydney Mail. 



CULTIVATION OF THE WATTLE FOE B.VEK. 



The diffu.sion by the press of the knowledge that bark 

 has advanced almost to a prohibitive price has naturally 

 incited many to think of undertaking the growing of wat- 

 tles as a profitable crop. During tlie last year or two 

 imiuiries for wattle seed have been quite a feature of the 

 Melbourne seed trade, and, as was recently mentioned, 

 the supply has been greatly below the demand. Orders 

 have come not only from witliiu the colony, but even more 



