78 St. John, Notes on the " River White Gum." f^";'' ''^f ' 



' J ' L August 



NOTES ON THE " RIVER WHITE GUM," EUCALYPTUS 

 RADIATA, SiEBER. 



By p. R. H. St. John. 



(Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, loih July, 191 1.) 



For many years I have had this species under observation, 

 and, although some authorities have included it with Eucalyptus 

 amygdalina, Labillardiere, I consider it quite distinct. 



During the last Christmas holidays I had many oppor- 

 tunities for closely examining it in all stages of growth, and, 

 fortified by the following extracts from well-known authorities, 

 I think I can clearly prove that the " River White Gum," 

 Eucalyptus radiata, Sieber, should be raised to specific rank. 



Sieber's description is as follows : — " Eiicalyptits radiata, 

 Sieber.* — Leaves linear-lanceolate, 4 inches long, 6-7 lines 

 broad ; veins very fine, confluent at apex, forming a nerve, 

 which is parallel with the margin. Pedicels short. Buds — 

 lid hemispherical, mucronate. Fruit globose, 3 lines in dia- 

 meter." 



In dealing with the eucalypts of Gippsland, A. W. Howitt t 

 refers to varieties a, b, c, d, e, and / of E. amygdalina, Labill. 

 Variety e is figured, and is described as follows : — " This is 

 the ' Wang-gnara ' of the Gippsland blacks. It is found in the 

 eastern part of Gippsland, but, according to my observations, 

 not so commonly as the other varieties of the type. It grows 

 along the rivers and streams, and in moist valleys. It has a 

 smooth, tall, but comparatively slender bole, with a scanty, 

 often rather spreading, head, in which there is frequently a 

 marked absence of foliage. The bark is persistent, and 

 wrinkled only on the lower part of the bole, above which it 

 becomes smooth and almost white. It is of extreme toughness, 

 hence the aboriginal name, ' Wang-gnara.' The seedlings and 

 young saplings have sessile, rather long lanceolar opposed 

 leaves, resembling those of the normal amy^dalina, but which, 

 in the older trees, become narrow-lanceolar-falcate, attenuated 

 at the stalk, and pointed. The venation is rather indistinct, 

 the marginal vein considerably removed, and the lateral veins 

 very longitudinal. The umbels are on stalks as long or longer 

 than the bud, the lid small and depressed, with a slight point. 

 Buds numerous — 3-20. Flowers normal. Fruit ovate- 

 truncate, with a slightly contracted orifice, compressed, rather 

 narrow rim, and small, weak valves. Compared with samples 

 (for which I am indebted to Dr. Woolls, of Sydney), this appears 



* " Observations on the Eucalypts of New South Wales," by H. 

 Deane, F.L.S., and J. H. Maiden, F.L.S. (Proc. Linn. Sac, 1895, vol. x., 

 p. 606). 



■]■ Transactions of the Royal Society of Victoria, vol. ii., part i, 1890. 



