MYRT AGILE 525 



This type is also exemplified in C. speciosus, C. Cunninghamii, 

 Psidium, and strikingly so in Tristania conferta (fig. 345). 

 There is a slight departure or modification of the type in 

 Callistemon Cunninghamii where the cotyledons present the 

 appearance of being obscurely trifid. Those of Psidium are 

 much larger than usual, and leaf-like, and those of Melaleuca 

 hypericifolia obovate or roundly ovate. 



All of the above species agree in having the first pair of 

 leaves opposite, while a number of them have several pairs 

 with this arrangement. In the seedling stage the species of 

 Callistemon have small, myrtle-like leaves, very different from 

 the adult form which is linear or lanceolate, and rather rigid, 

 with the edges vertical by a twisting of the very short petiole. 

 The primary leaves of Tristania conferta and Psidium are 

 also small and myrtle-like. Those of Melaleuca hypericifolia 

 are small and lanceolate. 



Most of the species of Eucalyptus observed have characters 

 in common in the form of the cotyledons. Thev are trans- 

 versely oblong, with or without a shallow sinus at the apex, with 

 a short midrib terminating in the sinus, and a longer lateral 

 nerve running along the centre of the lateral lobes. They 

 are practically, therefore, trinerved ; but the whole of the 

 venation is sometimes obscure or indiscernible owing to the 

 opacity of the cotyledons. The real apex of the latter is in 

 the notch ; and the length of the lateral lobes together with 

 the origin of the sinus is explained below. Species agreeing 

 in the main with the above particulars are Eucalyptus Globu- 

 lus (fig. 339), E. rostrata, E. cordata, E. leucoxylon (fig. 340) 

 and E. stellulata. A slight modification of the above is seen 

 in E. coccifera having small, obcordate cotyledons with a 

 cuneate base. A greatly exaggerated form is met with in E. 

 occidentalis (fig. 342) where the lateral lobes are ascending 

 or suberect so as to give the cotyledons a furcate appear- 

 ance strongly resembling those of Pentapetes puniceus amongst 

 the Sterculiacese, with similar venation. The cotyledons of 

 E. ficifolia are transversely oblong-reniform, with a moder- 

 ately deep notch at the base, a very shallow apical sinus, 

 the three nerves copiously branched, and long ascending 

 petioles. On the whole they may be compared to those of a 



