lOi THE EUCALYPTS OF GIPPSLAND. 



DiSTEIBUTION OF THE EuCALYPTS. 



In deciding how the various types of Eucalypts are distributed throughout 

 Gippsland, tbe first point which attracts notice is that the greater number faU into 

 one or the other of two groups. One group essentiahy belonging to the mountains, 

 and the other to the lowlands. Besides these, there are a few which are spread 

 more or less over the whole district, whether littoral or alpine. 



Certain types, peculiar to the littoral tracts, are found, which thence extend up 

 the river valleys, and moist, cool gullies at their sources on the southern slopes of 

 the mountains. They then cease, and are replaced on the warm, dry northern 

 slopes, and on the more elevated, cool, sub-alpine tracts, either by other types, or by 

 other varieties of the littoral forms. 



A few instances will make my meaning more clear. I commence with the best- 

 marked w^esterly example, that of the valley of the Macalister. In it E. viminalis, E, 

 piperita, E. obhqua, and E. goniocalyx afford instances. 



The lowland form of E. viminalis, which is the " river-gum " of Gippsland, 

 follows up the Macalister Eiver, growing only on the banks, or on the flooded flats, 

 to an elevation of 3000ft. at Lake Karng, and at an elevation of 1000ft. at the 

 Wellington River. The mountain form of E. viminalis ("6^ occurs on the open, grassy 

 spurs flanking the river, and then is found here and there, until it becomes plentiful 

 on the table-laud, through which flows the Caledonia Eiver. 



E. piperita, which forms extensive forests along the foot of the hills, follows up 

 the valley of the Macalister, growing on the flats above flood level, but graduaUy 

 ceases on approaching Glen Falloch. 



E.macrorhyncha commences at Glen Maggie, on the dry Silurian ridges, extends 

 all along the stony ranges flanking the valley, and reaches an altitude of about 3000ft. 

 on the track leading up from the Wellington to the Snowy Plains. In the mountain 

 gullies, having a southerly aspect, which descend from the mountain at Lake Karng 

 towards the Wellington Eiver, E. piperita again appears, together with E. viminalis 

 (a), and E. goniocalyx, which all reach, in this spot, an altitude of 3500ft. above 

 sea level. 



The high mountain ranges to the westward of the Macalister, and the still 

 higher alpine tracts to the west of the Mitchell, above the Dargo junction, and again 

 those to the west of the Snowy Eiver, above its junction with the Buchan, 

 precipitate the westerly rains, and divert the rainfall from the valleys on the eastern 

 side of the mountains. 



