Forage Plants of Australia. 35 



ORDER MYRTACE.E. 



EUCALYPTUS GUXNII, HOOK. 



" Sugar or Cider Gum." 



Flora Austr., Vol. Ill p. 246. 



A TAEIABLE tree as regards stature. "When growing in mountain ranges it 

 is dwarf in habit ; and it flowers when only a few feet high. "When growing 

 in low moist situations it is often called "swamp gum"; and there it attains 

 a considerable height, often exceeding 30 feet, with a smooth bark. Its 

 leaves are also variable, and ran^e from ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate-acute, 

 and are usually from 1 to 3 inches in length, thick, and very finely veined ; 

 though at times we have seen the leaves much larger. The young foliage is 

 glaucous. At figure 1 is illustrated a flowering branch, the flowers of which 

 are sessile, and arranged on axillary short peduncles. At Figure 2 is illus- 

 trated the fruit, which is pear-shaped, truncate, and slightly contracted at the 

 orifice, and scarcely one-third of an inch in diameter. The larger branch in 

 the engraving shows the arrangement of the flower buds before expanding. 

 This tree is peculiar to the south-eastern portions of New South "Wales, the 

 Baw Baw Mountains in Victoria, and the alpine districts in Tasmania, and 

 is moderately plentiful in some situations. The dwarf forms of this species 

 are much browsed upon by cattle and sheep, which are exceedingly fond of 

 its foliage because of its sweetness. It is a valuable addition to the grazing 

 areas in the high table-lands, where most other herbage is somewhat harsh, 

 and the grasses rather scanty. Bees obtain much honey from the flowers of 

 this species ; and on this account it would be of some value if introduced ) 

 to cultivation in cold 'districts, where honey-producing flowers are scarce. 

 There is much diversity of opinion with regard to the value of the timber 

 of the larger forms of this species. But Baron von Mueller says : " It is 

 almost equal in strength to that of Eucalyptus macrorJiyncJia, one of the 

 ' stringybarks' most common in elevated situations, 1 E. rostrataj the river or 

 red gum, and 1 E. globulus] the world-renowned 'blue gum.'" Its timber is 

 said to make excellent charcoal. This species is one of the few eucalypts 

 which will withstand the rigour of the British climate. Those persons 

 familiar with the parks and gardens of London may have seen some fine 

 specimens of this and other hardy species ; and in the more southern 

 portions of the country some of them flourish as if they were in their native 

 habitat. Many hundreds of plants are raised from seed annually of 

 Eucalyptus globulus to supply material for what is known as " sub-tropical 

 bedding" in the old country. The beautiful glaucous-white of its foliage 

 forms a most pleasing contrast with the lively green foliage of most European 

 trees and shrubs. The seeds should be sown broadcast on prepared land, 

 after rainfall, in the months of September or October. 



