316 



1. The texture, whether smooth, like a "White-gum" (haemastoma) ; spotted like the "Spotted- 

 gum " (maculata) ; scaly, like the " Bloodwood " (corymhosa) ; compactly matted, or sub-fibrous, like the 

 " Woolly Butt " [longifolia) ; or presenting the textures of bark well known under the names of " Iron- 

 bark," " Stringjbark," and so on. 



2. Whether the roughish outside bark extends to the branches {eg., corymbosa), or is confined to 

 the trunk, e.g., Blackbutt [pilularis). 



Of the several groups of Eucalypts, two are fairly well defined — those with 

 furrowed, hard bark, called Ironbarks, and those with fibrous barks, well known as 

 Stringybarks. Even these two groups are not separated absolutely from the other 

 species, some of which tend to approach them in the texture of their bark; thus, the 

 " Mountain Ash " of the Blue Mountains and the southern mountainous districts 

 {E. Sieberiana) {E. gigantea was added later. — J.H.M.), sometimes resembles an Ironbark 

 and, in fact, often goes by that name. Also the Peppermint {E. piperita), and the 

 Blackbutt {E. jnlularis) sometimes have barks fibrous enough to fall within the category 

 of Stringybarks. These instances may be largely multiplied, and I go into this detail 

 to emphasise the fact that the local names of Eucalypts are somewhat elastic, and do 

 not usually denote one species and no other. It is therefore desirable, as a rule, to 

 guard against fitting botanical names on to the local ones, for we have five Blue Gums 

 for example while some species, e.g., amygdalina (radiata) have numerous local names. 



There are, however, a few Eucalypts which have, I believe, appropriated certain 

 local names to themselves, that is, the following are not ambiguous, and if the local 

 names are properly applied, there is little difficulty in assigning the botanical ones 

 The principal are : — 



Bloodwood {E. corymbosa), Mountain Bloodwood {E. eximia), Blackbutt 

 [E. pilularis). Yellow Box (E. melliodora), Woolly Butt (E. longifolia). Spotted Gum 

 (E. maculata). White Mahogany {E. acmenioides), Swamp Mahogany (E. robusta), 

 Bastard Mahogany (E. botryoides). Tallow Wood {E. microcorys). 



It will be convenient for us to study Eucalypts according to a practical, though 

 not strictly scientific, classification. 



1. Gum Trees, a term frequently applied in a general sense to all Eucalypts, 

 because there exudes from their trunks a reddish astringent "gum" or kino. The 

 term, in a restricted sense, is applied to those with smooth barks. Following are our 

 chief " Gum Trees " : — 



(a) White Gum so called on account of the colour of the bark) ; hwmastoma, Gunnii, 

 goniocalyx, j^auci flora (coriacea), viminalis. 



(b) Red Gum (so called on accomit of the colour of the wood) ; E. rostrata (mainly 



found on the Murray). 



