140 



Mr. R. H. Cambage, speaking of North Queensland, says {Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., 



XLIX, 414, 1915) :— 



This species, which was the only Eucalypt met with belonging to the sub-series Eudesmiefe, is a 

 very interestinz one, for in addition to being one of the few having calyx teeth, like the Angophoras, it is 

 apparently the only stringybark to be found in Northern Australia, excepting in the extreme east. It is 

 known both as Messmate and Stringybark, and its bark is decidedly fibrous, the timber being reddish-brown. 

 . . . The "sucker" leaves -are opposite or alternate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 7 inches long 

 by 3 to 4 inches broad, with petioles of half to three-quarters of an inch long, the lateral veins being arranged 

 at an angle of about 60 degrees with the midrib, the intramarginal vein being close to the edge, the midrib 

 prominent on the upper side of the leaf, the young leaves often reddish. The trees, which are erect, have 

 an average height of about 40 feet with a diameter of about 1 foot, and prefer siliceous soil. 



There is a discrepancy in the colour of the timber as given by Fitzgerald and 

 Cambage, but anyone who has given much attention to Stringybark. timber in general 

 knows how it varies in colour ■ according to the district, and as the tree is large or small 

 and the specimen fresh or dry. 



I overlooked Mr. Cambage's earlier description of the juvenile leaves, or I would 

 not, in the following passage, have stated that they had hitherto not been described. 



Juvenile leaves of this species have been received from Darwin from Dr. Jensen (July, 1916), and 

 have not hitherto been described. 1 proceed to describe them. 



The branchlets are markedly quadrangular, and like the leaves are entirely glabrous or very slightly 

 glaucous, and equally green on both sides. They are large, oblique or falcate, very acuminate with prominent 

 purplish midribs, raised chiefly on the lower sides of the leaves. 



Secondary veins very distinct, but fine, roughly parallel, and making an angle of about 60 degrees 

 with the midrib. The intramarginal vein is at a considerable distance from the edge. 



A not uncommon size of the lamina is 25 cm. (say 10 inches) long and 13 cm. (say 5 inches) broad, 

 with a petiole of 1-5 cm. Still in the opposite stage they may be half the width. (Maiden In Ewart and 

 Davies' " Flora of the Northern Territory," p. 314, 1917.) 



The flower buds are strongly reminiscent of large cloves, the opercula are ribbed, 

 the ribs being occasionally almost winged. 



''E. tetrodonta would probably merge into the division of Pachyphloise, which, 

 comprises all the Stringybark trees." ('" Eucalyptographia.") 



RANGE. 



The type came from the entrance to the Victoria River and the elevated sterile 

 districts of Arnhem's Land, " Stringybark." (Mueller.) These are, of course, Northern 

 Territory. 



Bentham adds " North Coast," A. Cunningham, and Port Essington, Armstrong. 

 Mueller (" Eucalyptographia ") adds to these Port Darwin, Maria Island and Liverpool 

 River and Escape Cliffs. All the localities so far quoted are Northern Territory, unless 

 Cunningham's be tropical Western Australia. 



But Mueller has definitely reported it from Tropical Western Australia (Prince 

 Regent's River), while we have abundant localities from Northern Queensland. So that 



