Nov 

 19 



■^'] ^^^'LLY, On the Function of Acacia Leaf Glands. 127 



forming them without outside aid — that they are not, strictly 

 speaking, glands or nectaries, or, in other words, the terms 

 gland and nectary do not accurately describe the nature of 

 the growth. The secretions are neither fluid nor viscid. Some 

 of the organs I examined were filled with a ball of orange- 

 coloured jelly, which, I believe, is the sac containing eggs or 

 insect embryos. These so-called glands (for which I suggest 

 the name " vents ") in other forms may, in the earliest histor}^ 

 of the genus, have performed other functions and be now but 

 reduced substitutes, or .even aborted or non-developed stipules, 

 whose work could be (and often is) otherwise performed. In 

 the phyllode they are mere rehcs — not yet altogether but almost 

 obliterated, and now functionless. As to the voluntary — or 

 what in plants is believed by many to approximate to voluntary 

 — accommodation by them of insects, I enjoy a delightful 

 scepticism, which I should rejoice to destroy or confirm. 



ON A NEW VARIETY OF EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS— 

 E. GLOBULUS, VAR. ST. JOHNL. 



By R. T. Baker, F.L.S., Curator Technological Museum, 



Sydney. 



(Communicated by P. R. H. St. John.) 



(Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, nth Aug., 1913.) 



The Blue Gum, Eucalyptus globulus, Labill., has such an exten- 

 sive range from southern Tasmania through Victoria to the north 

 of New South Wales, and preserves such a constancy of general 

 morphological characters, that a departure from the normal is of 

 systematic interest ; and the honour is due to a Victorian for 

 unearthing this variety. It was discovered by Mr. P. R. H. 

 St. John on the banks of the Lerderderg River, Bacchus Marsh 

 district, 5th November, 1903, so that at present its location 

 is restricted : but this appears to be the general rule when new 

 species or varieties are discovered. At least a hundred similar 

 trees are growing in the neighbourhood, and there is httle doubt 

 but that it will be found to be more widely distributed later on.* 



The other species of eucalypts growing within a square mile of 

 this particular tree are as follows : — E. amygdalina, E. Behriana, 

 E. elcBOphora, E. leucoxylon, E. melliodora, E. macrorrhyncha, E. 

 hemiphloia, E. polyanthemos, E. sideroxylon, E. viminalis. 



The material collected by Mr. St. John is quite complete, 

 consisting of {a) seedling ; (b) adventitious shoots, obtained 

 from branch of tree 8 feet from the ground, the tree about 



* This varietv has since been discovered in South and East Gippsland. 

 — R. T. B. 



