S02 OBSERVATIONS ON THK EUCALYPTS OF N.S.W., 



Tliat E. capitellata and E. macrorrhyncha possess points of 

 resemblance is apparent to the most superficial observer. A com- 

 parison of the two may be roughly tabulated as follows : — 



E. c(i'pi(e/lata. — Operculum obtuse. Flowei's and fruits sessile 

 or nearly so. Fruit expanded below the rim. 



E. macrorrhyncha. — Operculum acuminate or conical. Flowers 

 and fruits strongly pedicellate; calyx border prominent. 



But these characters are not absolute, and only belong to the 

 types, considerable variation occvirring in some specimens. 



Baron von Mueller in the ' Eucalyptographia,' under E. 

 macrorrhyncha, says : — 



"^. macrorrhyncha stands nearest to E. capitcnata; leaves and 

 fruits of both are the same ; but the flowers of the latter are 

 always sessile or nearly so and thus crowded into heads as the 

 species name signifies, besides being usually smaller ; the lid of 

 E. capiiellata is hemispheric, without any prominent point, and 

 shorter in proportion to the tube, the latter being also more 

 angular and downward less attenuated." 



With all respect to the very high authority of Baron von 

 Mueller, we cannot agree that the fruits of E. capitellata and E. 

 macrorrhyncha are the same; and a study of the figures of the 

 two species in the ' Eucal3q3tographia ' "will prove the inaccuracy of 

 the statement ; we, however, show that there are intermediate 

 forms. 



Under E. macrorrhy)icha in the 'Flora Avistraliensis' we tind : — 



"Var. C?) brachycorys. Operculum short and obtuse. Fruit of 

 E. macrorrhyncha. Expanded flowers not seen, and therefore 

 affinities uncertain. New England. " Stringy bark." (B.Fl. iii. 

 -207). 



The Eucalypt thus referred to by Bentham is evidently one of 

 those connecting links between capitellata and macrorrhyncha, of 

 which we possess specimens, but we doubt the expediency of 

 giving names to any of these numerous varieties until our know- 

 ledge concerning them is more advanced. 



Although the fruit of E. capitcUata is usually sessile, or nearly 

 so, we have specimens which are distinctly'- stalked. If these 



