244 A CONTRIBUTION TO, ETC. 



The two trees, however, are perfectly distinct, and according 

 to the cortical system, must stand in separate sections. 



In my remarks on the species indigenous in New South Wales, 

 it is probable that I may have omitted a few of the species which 

 approach Victoria on the one side, and Queensland on the other ,but 

 with the exception of E. odorata, which from imperfect specimens 

 forwarded to me, appears to exist on the Lachlan, I am not aware 

 of having passed over any Eucalyptus of much importance either 

 to the practical or the commercial man. There is no doubt im- 

 mense difficulty in fixing the limits of the species, especially those 

 which are subject to much variation, and are not so well known 

 as the trees that have long been observed in the settled parts of 

 the colony. The publication of the third volume of the Flora 

 Australiensis has cleared up many difficulties for us, and although 

 there are certainly some inaccuracies in the grouping of the 

 species, and in the amalgamation of species which must be re- 

 garded as distinct, yet we are now enabled to arrange systemati- 

 cally many of the trees which were only known previously by 

 their popular names. It is satisfactory to determine from Mr. 

 Bentham's descriptions the species collected in the early days of 

 the colony, most of which probably flourished on the spot where 

 Sydney now stands, and which, until the arrival of the Flora 

 Australiensis, were called by different scientific names according 

 to the taste of different authors. In the " Species Plantarum" 

 published by "Wildenow, in 1799, twelve species of Eucalyptus are 

 described, but the descriptions are so short and inadequate, that 

 persons studying the genus could derive very little information 

 from them without some knowledge of the respective trees, and 

 the bark with which they are clothed. These species are arranged 

 according to the shape of the operculum, six being placed in the 

 section ' operculo conico" and six in that of " operculo luwnis. 

 pharico" This method of grouping appeared the best to the 

 early Botanists, but as I have already shown, it docs not meet 

 every case, as some trees vary considerably in the shape of the 

 operculum, even on the same individual. In Wildenow's first 

 section, the species are (1.) E. robusta, or " Swamp Mahogany" ; 

 (2.) E. pilularis, or " Blackbut" ; (3.) E. tercticornis, including 

 "Grey Gum," " Hickory," and " Bastard Box" (4.) E. resinifera, 

 originally applied to the " Bed Iron Bark," but now given to the 



