DESCRIPTION. 



CCLIX. E. tetragona F.vJ 



InFragm. iv, 51 (1864). 



Following is a translation of the original : — ■ 



A shrub, tree-like, branchlets somewhat winged, or acutely tetragonal, leaves opposite or 

 sub-opposite, coriaceous, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate or ovate, more rarely orbicular, with rather 

 long and compressed petioles, prominently penniveined, reticulately veined, peripheral vein more or 

 less removed from the margin, peduncles axillary, solitary, compressed, about 3-flowered, rarely 

 absent, pedicels acute angled, shorter than the calyx-tube, which is truncate-ovate, quadridenticulate, 

 several times longer than the depressed hemispherical, cruciate, quadristriate operculum, stamens 

 in four bundles, a little distant from each other or together, fruits rather large, truncate-ovate, or more 

 rarely somewhat globose, 2 to 4 ribbed, 4 or more rarely 5-celled, the smooth rim of the capsule included, 

 the fertile seeds rather large, narrowly winged, near the acute angles. 



In the hilly coastal tracts from the Stirling Range to Cape Arid (Western Australia). 



A shrub soon growing taller or increasing in season to a rather small tree, with a trunk then of 

 25 feet; in its young state it is like E. globulus, especially in its branchlets, petioles, and chalky 

 white inflorescence. The petioles, with narrowed curved back wings, are decurrent and as it were 2-keeled. 

 Leaves mostly 2-4 inches long, |-2 inches broad, more often acute than obtuse, margin slightly thickened, 

 the younger ones glaucous on both sides, the older ones greener, always opaque, more or less covered with 

 pellucid dots or almost imperforate. Peduncles an inch long or shorter, sometimes cuneate-dilated. 

 Pedicels 1-6 lines long. Bracts almost cymbiform, in the apex of the peduncle, a few lines long, deciduous. 

 Buds campanulate-obovate. Operculum about 3 lines broad and 1 line deep, always in four divisions. 

 Filaments free, although in bundles crowded together alternately with the ribs of the calyx-tube, very 

 numerous, whitish, becoming tawny yellow (fulvescentia), the longer ones measuring 3-4 lines. Anthers 

 small, ovate-cordate. Fruits measuring i-| inch, somewhat contracted at the orifice. 



E. odontocarpa, E. tetradonta, and E, eudesmioides have a similar quadridentate calyx in 

 which the stamens are collected more or less distinctly into bundles, but on account of this one point it is 

 not possible to separate Eudesmia from the genus Eucalyptus. 



It was then described by Bentham (B.Fl. iii, 259) in the following words : — 



Varying from a low scrubby shrub, densely covered with a white meal, to a small tree, of 20 to 25 

 feet, the specimens often entirely deprived of the whiteness; branches mostly 4-angled or almost 4-winged, 

 sarely terete. Leaves mostly opposite or nearly so or the upper ones alternate, from broadly ovate and 

 very obtuse to lanceolate-falcate and almost acute, rarely above 4 inches long, thick and rigid, with 

 diverging but rather distant veins, the intramarginal one at a distance from the edge. Peduncles axillary, 

 short, thick, angular or flattened, with three or very rarely four or five rather large flowers, on thick angular 

 or flattened pedicels. Calyx-tube campanulate, about 3 or rarely nearly 4 lines long and broad, with four 

 minutely prominent teeth, sometimes very conspicuous, sometimes scarcely perceptible. Opcrcidum 

 depressed-hemispherical, shorter than the calyx-tube, smooth. Stamens 3 to 4 lines long, more or less 

 distinctly arranged in four clusters or bundles, alternating with the calyx-tube, but the claws or dilatations 

 of the disk very short or scarcely perceptible; anthers small, with parallel cells opening longitudinally. 

 Fruit ovoid or nearly globular, truncate, contracted at the orifice, smooth or more or less ribbed, \ to 

 I inch diameter, the rim scarcely distinct; capsule sunk, usually 4-celled. 



