THE EUCALYPTS OF GIPPSLAND. 93 



giving the stems a rough appearance, but in a less degree than the last-named species. 

 The leaves, at first opposed, are lanceolar in form, and slightly shiny. The 

 seedlings of E. muelleriana are as characteristic as those of any other species known 

 to me. The stem and stalklets are slightly tufted with hairs, or are even smooth, the 

 leaves rather long, lanceolar, pointed, and opposed throughout, even in seedlings of a 

 foot or more in height, while their extremely shiny upper surface distinguishes this 

 form from all the other species of this group, being more marked even than in E. 

 oblic|ua, from which the persistent opposition of the leaves readily distinguishes it. 



The seedlings of E. obliqua are usually free from hairs, but are very commonly 

 warty, and the leaves are lanceolar, shining on one side, and thinner in texture than 

 those of E. macrorhyncha. They become scattered somewhat sooner than those of 

 E. macrorhyncha, and very much sooner than those of E. muelleriana, and soon 

 show the marked unequal-sidedness which is so characteristic of this tree. 



The saplings of these Eucalypts may also readily be distinguished from each other. 



Those of E. piperita remain rough up to 10ft. in height, the leaves then 

 become unequal-sided, ovate-lanceolar, or ovate-pointed, having the upper surface 

 slightly darker green, and more shining than the lower. 



E. capitellata soon produces unequal-sided cordate leaves, fully twice the size of 

 those of E . piperita, and of a lighter shade of green, moreover, they hang more vertically, 

 and are consequently more equally tinted on both sides. In size, and the inequality of 

 the sides, they resemble the sapling leaves of E. obliqua, but are readily distin- 

 guished by not being attenuated as those of Obliqua are. 



The saplings of E. muelleriana are distinguishable from all the others by having 

 opposed leaves, even up to two or three feet in height. The leaves are lanceolar and 

 unequal-sided, but in a less degree than others of the group. The upper page is 

 very shining, and the lower much duller and paler in hue. The apex is more or less 

 acute, and the lateral veins are more numerous and less spreading than in E. 

 capitellata. Even in saplings from 8ft. to 10ft. high, the leaves have a general 

 tendency to assume a horizontal position, thus producing a peculiar shining 

 appearance of their upper pages, which is characteristic of this tree when young. 



The saplings of E. obliqua have somewhat large, very unequal-sided leaves, 

 broadly lanceolar, or even cordate, and always attenuated, thus being, as I haA'e 

 pointed out, distinguished from E. capitellata, whose sapling leaves are not 

 attenuated. 



E. stricta. — The only locality in Gippsland in which this Eucalypt is found is, 

 as far as I am aware, on St. Pancras Peak, a rocky mountain between the Btichan and 

 Snowy Elvers, probably 4000ft. in height. 



