EUCALYPTUS TETRAPTERA. 



Turczaninow, in Bulletin de la Societd des naturalistes de Moscou, 1849, part ii. 22 ; F. v. M., fragmenta phyto- 

 graphise Australia ii. 34 ; Bentham, flora Australiensis, iii. 228 ; E. acutangula, Turczaninow, in Bulletin de 

 1'academie des sciences de Petersbourg 1852, p. 418. 



Shrubby, branchlets very robust ; leaves scattered, of exceedingly thick consistence, oblong- 

 or sickleshaped-lanceolar or less commonly oval, shining on both sides ; veins very subtle, the 

 peripheric vein slightly distant from the margin ; Jlorcers very large, axillary, solitary, on a 

 recurved flat and very broad stalk ; tube of the calyx almost obverse-pyramidal, sharply quadran- 

 gular, broader than the pyramidal-conical lid and considerably longer, each of the angles of the 

 tube produced at the apex into a short tooth ; stamens red, inflected in the bud ; anthers oval, 

 terminated by a black-purple gland, opening with longitudinal slits ; stigma hardly broader than 

 the style ; fruit bellshapcd-quadrangular or sometimes only with two angular ridges ; placenta! 

 axis about twice as long as broad ; valves four, deltoid, well enclosed ; seeds without any broad 

 membranous appendage. 



From the Fitzgerald-River dispersed to near Cape Le Grand and Mount Rugged, particularly 

 on granitic hills (Drummond and Maxwell). 



A shrub, seldom exceeding 10 feet in height. Branchlets either almost cylindrical or promi- 

 nently quadrangular. Leaves usually 3-5 inches long, attaining however exceptionally a length 

 of nearly a foot, very rigid, hence the oil-ghmds buried and concealed ; the lateral veins copious 

 and parallel. Flowers almost pendent ; their stalk shorter than the tube of the calyx, attaining 

 occasionally a breadth of nearly f inch ; stalklet none. Tube of the calyx about 1 inch long, 

 smooth, not rarely assuming a reddish hue ; lid somewhat wrinkled, scarcely exceeding an inch in 

 length, quadrangular. Anthers purplish ; pollen very pale, not yellow. Style exceeded in length 

 by the stamens. Fruits attaining up to 3 inches in length, very woody ; their rim concave. 

 Sterile seeds variable in width, but usually much more slender than the fertile seeds. 



This singular species, one of the most ornamental of the genus, was introduced by me into 

 the Melbourne Botanic Garden about twenty years ago, and from thence abroad. It remained 

 during lengthened culture of shrubby size. 



This affords an apt opportunity of alluding to the other species with remarkably large fruits, 

 although E. tetraptera is not closely akin to any of them in its characteristics. They are B. miniata 

 and E. ptychocarpa from Carpentaria and Arnhem's Land ; E. Watsoniana and E. Abergiana 

 from Eastern Queensland ; E. Freissiana, E. pyriformis, E. erythrocorys, E. macrocarpa, E. fici- 

 folia, E. calophylla and E. Youngiana from South- West Australia, where evidently the kinds with 

 fruits of very conspicuous size are more extensively represented than elsewhere. E. megacarpa 

 and E. buprestium offer also rather large-sized fruits, surpassing not rarely those of E. globulus. 



For ornamentation in shrubberies E. tetraptera is perhaps still more eligible than E. pyri- 

 formis, E. Preissiana, E. erythrocorys and E. macrocarpa, though these shrubs only in their floral 

 beauty can rival with E. miniata, E. phcenicea and E. ficifolia, but not in the tall grandeur of the 

 three last-mentioned species. The purple-flowered variety of E. Leucoxylou ranks also quite aa 

 ornamental and so E. cornuta and especially the closely allied E. Lehmanni. 



EXPLANATION OF ANALYTIC DETAILS. 1, unexpanded flower, lid separated; 2, longitudinal section of an 

 advanced flowerbud ; 3, back- and front-view of a stamen ; 4, longitudinal section of a young fruit ; 5, longitudinal 

 section of a half-ripe fruit ; 6, flowers of a large variety ; 7 and 8, sterile and fertile seeds ; 9, portion of a leaf; 

 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, natural size ; 3, 7, 8 and 9, variously magnified. 



