98 THE EUCALYPTS OF GIPPSLAND. 



forest, just as it does tlironghoiit the alpine and snb-alpine localities, which are its 

 special habitat. In the highest tracts, as at Dargo High Plains, it grows to a height 

 of over 100ft. It has a rather massive bole, with moderately spreading limbs, and 

 fairly full foliage. The bark is smooth and very white, excepting near the ground, 

 where it more or less persists ; it lias frequently, when about to dehiss, a decided 

 "coppery" tint upon the bole and limbs. The wood is somewhat soft, not very 

 fissile, and resembles that of the lowland form, except tliat it has a more reddish or 

 pinkish tint. The leaves are lanceolar, slightly falcate, and more or less attenuated 

 at the stalk, the marginal vein is usually but slightly removed, the lateral veins 

 numerous, not very marked, and inclined at about an angle of 40deg. with the midrib. 

 The umbels are axillary or solitary, and the stalklets about as long as the buds. The 

 buds are ovate, most commonly three in number, and arranged in the cruciform 

 manner so characteristic of E. viminalis. The lid is semi-ovate, smooth, and 

 occasionally pointed, but is not mamillated, as is the case with E. stuartiana. Judging 

 by the examples which I have examined, I think that the buds of this variety are 

 more broadly ovate, have shorter stalks, and more rounded lids than those of the 

 lowland form. The fruit is semi-ovate, with a somewhat wide and more or less 

 convex margin, and with rather strong deltoid and protruding valves. 



These characteristics are those of the typical E. viminalis, but the seedlings and 

 young saplings have peculiarities which raise doubts whether indeed this Eucalypt 

 should not rather be referred to E. stuartiana. 



The seedlings have round or ovate opposed leaves, which are closely sessile, 

 rarely they are ternary in verticels, the stems as well as the leaves are mealy, and 

 thus resemble very strongly, as also in other respects, the young plants of E. 

 pulverulenta as it grows in Gippsland, rather than those of E. stuartiana. 



Even when as high as 8ft. or 10ft., the saplings still have pulverulent leaves of 

 an ovate form and opposed position, and the grown trees themselves occasionally 

 show a reversion to this structure at the ends of their pendant branches. In some 

 localities, as for instance at Dargo, this tree grows together with E. stuartiana, the 

 latter being in its typical form. When the seedlings and saplings of these trees are 

 thus compared, those of E. stuartiana are found to be much less mealy, to be of 

 thicker consistence, and more pointed than those of this variety of E. viminalis, in 

 which the opposed condition of the leaves is continued much longer than in E. 

 stuartiana. There can be no doubt that E. viminalis and E. stuartiana ai-e nearly 

 allied, and it becomes necessary now to enquire to which of these this Eucalypt 

 stands nearest. E. viminalis differs from E. stuartiana, as I have observed them 

 to be in Gippsland, by having much smaller limbs as compared to the bole. The 

 leaves of the former are smaller, as a rule, more attenuated at the stalk, of thinner 



