^°^''^'] Hart, Encalypts about Creswick and Clunes. 99 



NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE EUCALYPTS 

 ABOUT CRESWICK AND CLUNES. 



By T. S. Hart, M.A., B.C.E. 



{Continued from page 92.) 

 {Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, \j,lh May, 1917.) 



The Trees of the Granitic Hills. — Mount Beckworth, to the 

 south-west of Clunes, rises to an elevation of 2,087 feet, but 

 only a small area is near this height. It consists of granites, 

 with the lower slopes made up of granitic detritus. The upper 

 parts are rocky, soil being very variable in amount and often 

 absent. From Mount Beckworth granitic country extends a 

 few miles north-west to the vicinity of the Maryborough 

 Reservoir, with one small break where a strip of basalt crosses 

 it. On the summit of Mount Beckworth the trees are stunted 

 forms of E. obliqua and a tree best referred to E. viminalis. 

 There are also on the upper parts Acacia mclanoxylon, Banksia 

 marginata, and Casuarina. Acacia mollissima is also common 

 both on the upper and lower parts of the hill. At places 

 Exocarpos cupressiformis, the Cherry Ballart, is abundant, and 

 very healthy-looking. On these rocky hills, where all deep 

 roots must follow the natural cracks, it is evident that this 

 tree will be in a position to gain all it can from its root 

 parasitism, as the roots of neighbouring trees are forced into 

 proximity to its roots. 



On the detrital area springs are not uncommon, but the 

 amount of water reaching different parts is very variable ; 

 evidently the supply of water from the higher ground, which 

 makes a spring, means that there is so much less to soak into 

 other parts. Swamp Gum, E. ovaia, was observed at a spring, 

 but on the east slope of the northern spur of the mount E. 

 elcBophora, Long-leaved Box, is prominent. Near the west end 

 of the granitic country Yellow Box and a few Yellow Gums 

 occur on the lower slopes, with Red Gum close to the creek ; 

 but on the upper rocky part of a hill it was noticed that 

 eucalypts were absent, the trees being Acacia mollissima. Black 

 Wattle, A. melanoxylon, Blackwood, Banksia marginata. Silver 

 Banksia, and Casuarina qiiadrivalvis. Drooping Sheoke. The 

 summit of this hill, however, would not reach the levels at 

 which Messmate occurs on the north of Mount Beckworth. 

 I have not examined the east side of Mount Bolton, south of 

 Mount Beckworth, where it is possible that Long-leaved Box 

 occurs further south than anv observed by me. 



The outstanding feature in the distribution of the eucalypts 

 is the strong contrast between the species present at Creswick 

 and those at and beyond Clunes. This is not due simply to 



