32 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



incurved in aestivation and conspicuously crowning and radiating from the edge 

 of the cup after the lid falls away, and with small in torse anthers; ovary inferior 

 with several cells containing numerous ovules on axial placentae. Fruit a firm 

 woody cup-like, capsule loculicidally dehiscent at the top when mature and liber- 

 ating many abortive and perfect seeds. 



A very interesting and important genus of nearly 150 species of trees, confined 

 in a native state to Australia and the neighboring islands, some of great economic 

 value and among them there are giants attaining the great height of 400 ft. and 

 upwards the only rivals of our great Sequoias in size. The name Eucalyptus 

 is from the Greek. i>, well, and, KaXuirr iv, to cover, alluding to the stamens being 

 well covered by the lid. 



211. EUCALYPTUS ROSTRATA, SCHLECHT. 



RED GUM. BIALL. 

 Ger. , Rotligumi" Fr. , Gommier rouge; Sp. , Goma Colorado,. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS : Leaves scattered, 3-6 in. or more in length, lanceolate- 

 sickle-shaped (exceptionally oval-lanceolate) opposite sides colored alike, with 

 rather obscure pinnately spreading lateral veins terminating in a marginal vein 

 which is somewhat remote from the edge, oil dots scanty or obscure; branchlets 

 slender. Flowers in axillary 4-14-flowered umbels, with slender terete or slightly 

 compressed peduncles and thin pedicels somewhat shorter than the calyx; calyx- 

 tube semi-globular, 2-2^ lines in diameter, lid somewhat longer than the tube, 

 hemispheric at base and contracting into a sharp or beak-like blunt point; stamens 

 all fertile, about 2 lines long, inflected in the bud and with nearly ovate anthers 

 opening by almost parallel longitudinal slits; stigma not dilated. Fruit cup- 

 shaped, scarcely \ inch in diameter, \vith broad protruding rim and usually four 

 (less commonly 3 or 5) highly exserted deltoid valves, and containing small seeds 

 destitute of apendages and very narrow sterile seeds. 



The specific name, rostrata, is the Latin for having a beak, referring to the 

 shape of the calyx lid. 



In its native land .the Red Gum often attains the height of 100 ft. 

 (30 m.) and occasionally twice that height or more, with a stout trunk 

 sometimes 14 ft. (4 m.) in diameter, vested in a smooth, ashy -gray or 

 brownish bark which exfoliates in irregular plate-like layers. Being a 

 tree introduced in recent years into California it has not had time to 

 attain very large dimensions here. 



HABITAT. A. thoroughly naturalized tree in California where it 

 springs up abundantly from self-sown seeds. Its native home is in 

 Australia, where it is found in moist soil along the river banks or in 

 alluvial valleys throughout nearly the whole continent, but not ascend- 

 ing to high altitudes and generally abundant near the coast. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood dense, hard, heavy, strong, of 

 flexuous grain, susceptible of a handsome polish, exceedingly durable 

 in contact with the soil, and said to be next to the Australian Jarrah 

 wood in resisting the attacks of the teredo and boring insects. The 

 wood is of a brick-red color (whence the name Red Gum) with rather 

 scant lighter sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.858 to 1.005; Weight of 

 a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 



