10 



On Eucalyptus Behriana, F. v. M. 



By J. H. Maiden, RL.S. 



Government Botanist of New South Wales, Honorary Fellow 

 Royal Society, South Australia. 



[Read November 5, 1901.] 



I desire to bring under notice Eucalyptus Behria7ia, F. v. M., 

 which has long been looked upon as a peculiarly South Australian 

 species, and some of the type localities are South Australian. It 

 is of special interest to South Australian botanists by reason of 

 the light it throws upon variation in the genus. 



Following is the original description of the species : — 



" Fruticose ; leaves alternate, coriaceous, somewhat shining, 

 lanceolate or ovate, acute, slightly oblique, thinly veined, dotted ; 

 umbels pedunculate, panicled, few-flowered ; flowers small, 

 nearly sessile ; lid hemispherical, blunt or minutely apicuiate ; 

 tube of the calyx obconical, bell-shaped, nearly twice as long as 

 the lid; fruit half-ovate, sessile, not contracted at the top; 

 valves of the capsule inclosed ; seeds brown, streaked. 



" In arid plains and on stony hills near the Avoca, Murray, 

 and Gawler Rivers, and in Bacchus Marsh." — Trans, Vict. Inst., 

 I. (1855), 34. 



At about the same time Mueller sent specimens to Miquel 

 who was then engaged on his " Stirpes Novo-Kollandas." The 

 latter independently described the species, and as his description 

 is published in Ned. Kruidk., Arch. IV., 140 (1856,^ not 1859, 

 as mentioned in B.Fl.), an excessively rare work, I quote it, 

 here : — 



" 39. Eucalyptus Behriaria, Ferd. Miill. E. pruinosa, Behr. 

 Herb, non Schauer. Fruticosa, ramulis teretiusculis summo 

 apice compresso-angulatis foliisque subtus pruinosis, his ovato- 

 lanceolatis inii^quilateris acuminatis, basi in petiolum contractis, 

 coriaceis, penniveniis, umbellis capitatis paucifloris (1-7-floris), in 

 paniculis axillaribus lateralibus et terminalibus confertis, pedun- 

 culis umbellarum teretiusculis, calycis tubo parvo obconico- 

 turbinato, operculo hemisph^erico mutico vel apiculato quam 

 tubus duplo breviore." 



"In Nova Hollandia australi legit el. Dr. Behr., autumno. 



* 1856 is the date of the green paper-covered paper Part mainly occupied 

 by Miquel's paper. 



