73 



Pale Boxes. 



1. Eucalyptus hemiphloia (White or Grey Box). 



2. Eucalyptus Bosistoana (South Coast Box). 



3. Eucalyptus melliodora (Yellow Box). 



4. Eucalyptus populifolia (Birnble Box). 



Eucalyptus hemiphloia, F.v.M. 

 THE WHITE OR GREY Box. 



Botanical Name. Hemiphloia, from two Greek words Jiemi, half, and 

 phloia, bark half -barked. 



Vernacular Xaini'ft. It is called Grey Box because of its tough, inlocked 

 diameter, which reminded the early settlers of Turkey Box. Here, however, 

 the resemblance ci-ases, as our Box is a coarser-grained, duller-looking timber, 

 while in Australia it often goes by the name of u Box," the adjectives 



"" Grey " or " White '' being used to distinguish it from Red Box, Brush 

 Box, &c. 



Synonym. Some of the synonyms of this species are referred to below. 

 I recognise two varieties, viz. : 



1. var. aliens, F.v.M. The large-fruited glaucous (whitish) form. E. 

 albens, Miq. The name of E. albens arose only from a misprint of E. 

 pollens, and was first promulgated without any diagnosis (Eucalyptographia 

 under E. hemiphloia'). E. pattens, F.v.M., non DC., is a synonym. 



2. var. microcarpa, Maiden. The small-fruited form common in the drier 

 parts of the State. 



Flowers. This species is one of the most profuse flowerers of the 

 Eucalypts. The Agricultural Gazette for February, 1893, contains a useful 

 paper on " Plants Visited by Bees." It is very condensed, and the native 

 plants are not separated from the introduced ones. Botanical names are 

 not given, and it would be desirable to compile a list of our native plants 

 stated by responsible bee-keepers to be useful bee-plants. The above- 

 quoted paper says : " It is worthy of remark that the flora of Australia 

 possesses honey-producing trees, shrubs, and plants of a high standard of 

 excellence, the honey produced by bees in the near neighbourhood of the 

 forest being of the finest quality, and having few (if any) faults." The 

 value of the Box-tree (Eucalyptus hemiphloia) for honey has passed into 

 a proverb. See E. melliodora. 



Fruit. In. Eucalyptus the fruit is of considerable importance for pur- 

 poses of diagnosis. In E. hemiphloia the fruit varies considerably in size; 

 but it is always subcylindrical, smooth, and never has the valves exserted. 



Bark. This species obtains its name from its bark, although this is a 

 character that can only be employed with caution. This trunk is more or 

 less covered with a matted, sub-fibrous bark that is generally known as 

 "box" bark. The branches are smooth, with a little ribbony bark at the 

 junction of the fibrous and smooth portion. 



