THE GENUS 



EUCALYPTUS. 



NATURAL ORDER 



Myrtaceaa. 



THIS Genus was first named Aromadendron by Dr. William Anderson, the 

 surgeon of Captain Cook's second and third expeditions, when collecting with 

 Captain Furneaux in Tasmania, where Hobart now stands. According to 

 Mueller, the first species named was a " Stringybark," now known as E. obliqiia. 



The name Eucalyptus was bestowed by L'Heritier in 1788 (Sert. Angl., 

 18, t. 20), the word being derived from the Greek tv " well," and KaXvnrca 

 ' I cover," in allusion to the operculum or lid which covers the calyx until the 

 stamens are fully developed. 



Robert Brown gave the not inappropriate appellation of Eudesmia to 

 the genus in 1814; but, of course, this name is synonymised by the rule of 

 priority. 



Still later another name was proposed, i.e., that of Symphyomyrtus, by 

 Schauer, in 1844. 



The trees are evergreen, either tall and of enormous height, or dwarfed 

 shrubs, when they are known as " Malices." 



The bark is variable in its nature and texture, being either rough, 

 furrowed, or smooth, features which are more fully described under each bark 

 illustration. 



The leaves, as a general rule, are larger on young trees, or adventitious 

 shoots, than on mature trees, whilst in some species they are first opposite and 

 sessile, and then alternate and petiolate. The usual shape is lanceolate, falcate, 

 and, being fixed vertically instead of horizontally, give less shade from the sun's 

 rays than most trees. They also possess the power of twisting on the petiole, 

 probably for the purpose of exposing the thicker cuticle of the leaf to the sun, 

 and thus minimising the volatilisation of oil. 



Oil glands are present in the leaves of almost every species, being very 

 pronounced in those of some groups. 



The inflorescence is either axillary or terminal. 



