10 



TASMANIAN EUCALYPTS. 



By L. Rodway, C.M.G., Government Botanist. 



(Read Oct. 8, 1917. Received Oct. 1, 1917.) 



(Issued separat.'ly Ortober ID, 1917.) 



There are about twenty-two, more or less unstable, 

 forms of Eucalypts native of Tasmania which, may be re- 

 garded as distinct species. The variations of some of 

 these are very puzzling to the student, and have been re- 

 sponsible for much confusion. Some of the species re- 

 spond profoundly to change of conditions, especially soil. 

 Hybridisation is fairly common with many species, and is 

 responsible for some tempora.ry confusion, and perhaps per- 

 manent change. There is a further evolution progressing m 

 response to internal and unknown causes, not. in the small 

 fluctuating variation present in the offspring of every 

 organism, but in sudden mutation. With some of our 

 species, especially Blue Peppermint, from seed carefully 

 gathered off the oue tree, it is common to' find conspicuous 

 distinction of form amongst the oflfspring. There is. a 

 large field of research in all three forms of variabil'ity 

 open to the student; very little has been done, and we 

 shall not properly understand the limitation of species 

 until it is. 



Students must recognise that no two eucalypts or any 

 other organism are exactly alike. We seize upon a con- 

 venient form and call it the type of a species, and all 

 beings that conform within a restricted but arbitrary 

 degree to this we group together and call it a species. 

 There is no such thing as a species in nature. 



The Eucalypts of Tasmania may be grouped as fol- 

 lows) : — 



Black Peppermint = Euc. amygdalina, Lab. 



White Peppermint = Euc. linearis, Denh. 

 Blue Peppermint=Euc. risdoni. Hook. 

 False Blue Gum = Euc. hypericifolia. 

 Broad-leaved Peppermint = Euc. nitida. Hook. 

 Mountain Peppermint = Euc. coccifera, Hook. 

 Messmate=Euc. obliqua, L'Her. 

 Gum -topped Stringy = Euc. gigantea. Hook. 

 Swamp Gum = Euc. regnans, F.v.M. 

 Mountain Ash = Euc. sieberiana, F.v.M. 

 White-topped Stringy = Euc. sieberiana variety. 



