228 ON EUCALYPTUS MELAXOPHLOIA, F.v.M., 



That the two are closely allied there appears to be little doubt, 

 but still the hiatus exists, and the connection, as far as my 

 researches go, is not extant to-day. 



The timbers are much alike in colour and figure, but differ in 

 specific gravity and hardness. That of F. microtheca is more 

 durable, harder, and not so easily worked as that of E. melano- 

 phloia. 



The barks are identical in colour and texture. 



The chemical constituents of the oils of these two species are 

 also almost identical, so that the differences are to be found in 

 the shape of the fruits, in the timber, and in the leaves, particu- 

 larly in the dried state. In the field E. microtheca is always 

 known vernacularly as " Swamp Box " or " Coolabah ";^ whilst E. 

 melanophloia appears to be invariably known as " Ironbark " or 

 "Silver-leaved Ironbark," although when found growing along 

 with the former, and with all its leaves of the lanceolate form, it 

 is regarded by bushmen as " Swamp Box." As it is this latter 

 state that extends westward, it is very possible that the sessile, 

 cordate leaved-form is the parent tree, and a survivor of the Miocene 

 times when the main coast range remained above water. As the 

 western plains were raised above the sea-level the lanceolate state 

 probably developed. 



The life-history of the foliage of E. melanophloia is thus 

 identical with the Tasmanian species E. Risdoni, Hook, f., and 

 E. dives, Schau., of the mainland. 



The description of E. melanophloia should now read as follows : 



A medium-sized forest tree attaining a height of 30 to 50 feet, 

 with a very rough, hard, deeply furrowed, dark-coloured bark, 

 extending nearl}^ right out to the branchlets. Foliage glaucous or 

 Vjrownish-green, variable in form. Some trees preserve the sessile 

 cordate-shaped form of leaf entirely, whilst others show a grada- 

 tion into lanceolate ones. The w^estern trees have entirely 

 lanceolate leaves even on the " suckers." The former leaves are 

 glaucous, whilst the latter are only rarely so, being generally of 

 a pale yellowish or dull olive-green or pale brownish colour, 

 slightly coriaceous, the margins sometimes recurved ; venation 



