THE EUCALYPTS OF GIPPSLAND. 89 



It is in Western Gippsland, namely, near Drouiu and at the Agnes River, 

 that I found those samples which were most near to the typical forms of E. eugenioides, 

 and in which the valves were distinct, but yet only slightly exserted. 



The conclusion to which I am led is that the suggestion thrown out by 

 Bentham, and noted by Baron von Mueller, is correct so far as concerns Gippsland, 

 namely, that E. piperita and E. eugenioides are near varieties of the same type. 

 But when comparing the extreme forms found in South-western Gippsland with the 

 typical E. piperita from New South Wales, to which the examples from near the 

 Tambo River must be assigned, the conclusion is arrived at that the differences are 

 such as to have justified Dr. Wools in regarding E. piperita and E. eugenioides, 

 as they occur in New South Wales, as distinct. 



An examination also of numerous individual trees in different localities where 

 these Eucalypts flourish as one of the principal forest trees, for instance, at 

 Merriman's Creek, Toongabbie, the Macalister River, Budgee Budgee, the Went- 

 wortli, and the Tambo, has shown me that in all these localities trees can be found 

 growing side by side, having fruit which is either truncate ovate-globular with a narrow 

 aperture, or compressed globular, much truncated, and with a wider aperture. The 

 seedlings and saplings growing in such localities, with the aged trees bearing such 

 fruits as above referred to, are indistinguishable from each other, and I have come to 

 the conclusion tliat, so far as concerns Gippsland, possibly excepting perhaps its 

 extreme eastern part, there are no strong features to separate these Eucalypts into 

 Piperita and Eugenioides. If, however, samples are compared of the New South 

 Wales Piperita with the Gippsland samples, which agree with the definition of 

 Eugenioides, then it will be found that there are good and distinctive characteristics. 



I have felt some difficulty in deciding to which type the Gippsland form should 

 be assigned, but on consideration I think that, in the majority of cases, the form of 

 the fruit and the seedings with ovate-crimped leaves, point to E. piperita rather than 

 E. eugenioides (*). I have, therefore, assigned them to that species, though there 

 are a few localities such as the Agnes River and at Drouin, where Eucalypts occur, 

 which can rightly be referred toE. eugenioides. 



E. miielleriana. — This Eucalypt has an extensive range in the western half of 

 Gippsland. It is a littoral species, and is principally found between tbe Hoddle 

 Ranges and the sea coast. There it forms the bulk of the forest, growing upon sands 

 and sandy clays, from Monkey Creek, 20 miles from Sale, to Shady Creek, west of 

 Alberton, in an east and west direction, and from Carrajung southwards to the coast. 

 The area thus covered by this tree is about 300 square miles. It also occurs in lesser 



* The seedlings of the New South Wales variety, for which I have to thank the courtesy of Dr. Wools, bear out 

 this view. 



