225 



LI ©R A R^ 



ON EUCALYPTUS MELANOPHLOIA, F.v.M., AND ITS 

 COGNATE SPECIES. 



By R. T. Baker, F.L.S., Curator and Economic Botanist, 

 Technological Museum, Sydney. 



(Plate xi.) 



This species was originally described by Mueller in 1858 (Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. iii. 93); and Bentham in the ' Flora Australiensis ' 

 (iii. 220) reproduced this description. 



In the above and all later references to this tree in scientific 

 literature, it is always described or mentioned as having uniformly 

 cordate, sessile leaves throughout its life ; and such was my 

 experience of it until the research on Eucalypts recently com- 

 pleted at the Technological Museum proved that such was not 

 the case. 



It appears now that the original description applies only to one 

 form of this tree's life-history, i.e , the opposite, sessile, cordate 

 stage; and this being the only described form up till now it can 

 be easily understood how, as regards its foliage, it was taken to 

 belong to that class of Eucalypts having similar leaves. This 

 includes such Eucal3^pts as E. cordata, Labill., and E. indveru- 

 lentci, Sims, for Eastern Australia ; and, as far as at present 

 known, no lanceolate leaves have ever been found to occur on 

 them. 



It can now be shown that E. melanophloia, F.v.M., on a 

 morphological classification of foliage, must be grouped with E. 

 dives, Schau., E. Risdoni, Hook, f., E. cinerea, F.v.M., and others, 

 all of which in the sessile, cordate-leaved stage, bear both buds, 

 flowers and fruits; and it is a coincidence that all these, as well 

 as this species, should have been described originally from this 

 particular leaf-stage. It is now also known that all and each of 

 15 



