EUCAL YPTUS. 123 



just about the time the sugar gum, Eucalyptus corynocalyx, 

 begins. The flower of cornuta has a very long lid or cap 

 as its name suggests. This cap, when it separates from 

 the calyx tube, continues to half cover the stamens for 

 some little time. The bees only seek these flowers while 

 the cap still partially covers them and not when it is 

 entirely off. This is also the case in the closely allied tree 

 Eucalyptus Lehmanni, and to a greater or less extent in 

 Eucalyptus siderophloia. 



Eucalyptus citriodora, in winter, blooms quite freely in 

 its white panicles but only once a year, so far as I know. 

 The pronounced lemon scent and fragrant odor of the 

 leaves of this species suggests the possibility of some such 

 flavor existing in the nectar. Whether such a flavor is 

 transferred by bees and recognizable in the honey is for 

 practical bee men to say. 



I believe that by some study of this subject species of 

 Eucalyptus with plenty of nectar could be so selected as 

 to give a constant crop of flowers or flowers at such times 

 as these are absent in other plants. 



Nearly all the species have their most luxuriant flow- 

 ering time in the winter and early spring. Eucalyptus 

 sideroxylon has its main flowering time in the late spring 

 and early summer, then comes Eucalyptus cornuta in July 

 and August, then Eucalyptus corynocalyx from September 

 to November, and then Eucalyptus globulus and Euca- 

 lyptus robusta, connecting back by the rich and numerous 

 flowers of Eucalyptus polyanthema. 



I am of opinion that all the species that commence 

 blooming in November and during the winter continue 

 more or less generally their flowering well into the spring 

 months. 



