287 



these cavities luay cause shelling; il they proceed further they are large enough lo 

 fill a bucket. As a rule, these cavities contain liquid more or less astringent, because 

 of the presence of the kino of which I have just spoken. In the case of the Cider Gum 

 of Tasmania (E. Giinnii), the liquid is watery and so little astringent that it can be 

 drunk. In many cases the liquid gets into the cavity through lodging in the fork 

 of the tree or trickling through a crack of the wood. To some extent this watery 

 liquid would be added to by the sap, but I think that the quantity of that is negligible. 

 There is no evidence that the liquid benefits the tree or otherwise. It is not a disease ; 

 it is simply an evidence of mechanical shrinkage of Ihe timber. Some of the 

 Bloodwoods (E. corymbosa and allies) have the cavities mainly filled with kino. 



I have referred to this phenomenon of swollen stems, often liquid retainers, 

 at some length in Part Ixiii, p. 119, of my " Forest Flora of New South Wales," in 

 regard to the following species : — E. Gunnii, E. maculosa, E. Raveretiana, E. Banerofti 

 E. redunca var. elata, and E. sahnonopMoia. I have briefly referred to these swellings 

 in E. redunca var. elata at pp. 94, 95, Part XXXIY of the present work. 



" Swellings and knobs are frequently largest just where it springs from the 

 ground." See A. W. Howitt's remarks concerning E. polyanthemos at Part XLII, 

 p. 59, of the present work. 



It may be observed that all the above species have smooth or almost smooth 

 barks. 



In many cases the butt of E. coriacea forms a huge protuberance at the ground 

 level, taking on a peculiar plastic appearance often seen in the coast districts in 

 E. macidata (Spotted Gum) and AngopJiora lanceolata (Smooth-barked Apple). In 

 E. coriacea, from this protuberance there spring out as many as four (and even more) 

 stems of equal diameter, such stems being equidistant from each other, or nearly so. 



N.— Abortive Branches (Prickly Stems). 



The presence of abortive branches in Eucah^ptus is very common. It is often 

 noticed by rubbmg one's hand down a stem when one feels the friction of short sharp 

 prickles. Sometimes these are more or less concealed by the fibrous bark ; in the case 

 of Gums they may be quite evident to the eye. 



I have been in touch for some years with Mr. Harry Hopkins, of Bairnsdale, 

 Victoria, in regard to this phenomenon, in the begimiiug in regard to E. Considemana, 

 and I obtained the follomng useful note (which incidentally deals with other matters) 

 through him : — 



3Ir. W. H. Harvey, Yarram Yarram, Victoria, who calls tliis tree '• Prickly Messmate," obligingly 

 gives me the following information courornincr its occurrence in that State. " It is very scarce, is only 

 found in small belts, chiefly in the parishes of Willung and Carrajung. The tree thrives best and creates 

 a fine barrel or bole in volcanic soils or chocolate loams, when it attains a height of about .50 feet in barrel, 

 and up to 3 feet in diameter. Called ' Prickly Messmate,' on account of the surface of the sapwood being 

 covered as a rule with spikes or prickles. Has a yellowish-brown fibrous bark, and the surface is smoother 



