56 Kelly, Plant Distribution in the Healesville District. \y^^ 



Vict. Nat. 

 XXXI. 



The upper story of vegetation is entirely eucalyptian, and 

 the first sub-story is, in the main, the same, but in association 

 at various points with the tallest acacias, Atherosperma, and 

 Fagus. Most of the high land is covered with a series of open 

 associations, except in such spots as have been cleared or 

 cultivated, and there with close associations of the lowest 

 stories only. In other words, it is heavily timbered, with 

 thick undergrowth, and known as bushland and forest forma- 

 tion, with its usual complementaries — moss and lichen, tundra, 

 and dwarf shrub heath. 



Distribution of Encalypts. — Eucalyptus coriacea is found out- 

 side the area under review, its range being limited to the 

 undulating ground between Yering and the Tarrawarra 

 station. The trees are much scattered, evidently many having 

 been destroyed in clearing. They favour the Silurian knolls 

 surmounting the Yarra flats, and avoiding the alluvial deposit. 

 These knolls were possibly islands in, or banks of, a lower lake 

 formed when the Yarra waters were dammed back. Under 

 present conditions the trees grow above flood-level. They do 

 not extend as far back as the railway tunnel, and do not 

 appear at all beyond it. The accompanying allies of the lower 

 country, E. rubida, E. viminalis, and E. Gnnnii, persist beyond 

 this point. The first-named seeks the higher level of the foot- 

 hills and spreads out on the rises to about 300 feet above 

 sea-level, and ends beyond the town at this height, and gives 

 place then in the Leiophloia to E. goniocalyx. E. viminalis, 

 superficially so like E. rubida, but so different in timber and the 

 later juvenile, adolescent, and recurrent foliage, follows the 

 river banks, keeping mostly to the alluvial flats and valleys, 

 grows to a great height, and shows but little of the rugged 

 bark and stunted conformation of its seaboard variety. E. 

 Gunnii has much the same distribution, but usually grows away 

 from the main stream and spreads farther aiield, but always 

 keeps to lower ground than E. rubida, choosing the more acid 

 and slightly higher flats. A corresponding difference of dis- 

 tribution is found in the three acacias, dealbata, mollissima, 

 and melanoxylon. The first-named follows the rivers, the 

 second is distributed similarly to E. rubida, whilst A. melan- 

 oxylon follows the lines of both E. Gunnii and E. viminalis, 

 but continues to greater altitudes. As with the three eucalyi)ts, 

 these three acacias are in association at the Melbourne end 

 of the tunnel, but all diverge to their various altitudes from 

 that point. 



The distribution and form of the Ai)i)le Cium, Eucalyptus 

 Stuariiana, is most interesting. Taking as the type those trees 

 that grow near Ringwood and Croydon, with large juvenile 

 leaves, and similar ones covered with a glaucous bloom that 



