71 



DESCRIPTION. 



LIII. E. melanophloia, F.v.M. 



Ill Journ. Linn. Soc, iii, 93 (1859), in Latin. 



Described in English by Bentham in B.Fl. iii, 220, with a doubt (p. 221), but 

 subsequent investigations have confirmed its claim to specific rank. 



It was not figured by Mueller in the " Eucalyptographia," but it was included 

 by him in his " Second Census " (1889). 



Notes supplementary to the Description. 



Bark. — The bark raries. Mueller, in the original description, says : " persis- 

 tent bark thick, deeply furrowed, rough and blackish." He then speaks of 

 Leichhardt {Overland Expedition, ^•c.) having found a second form, about the Gulf 

 of Carpentaria, with dirty greyish, flaky bark. 



I/eaves. — The shapes of the leaves vary. The original description of them 

 is " 1^ to 3 inches long, 1-2 broad, obtuse or cuspidate-acuminate, occasionally 

 cordate-lanceolate or entirely cordate." 



Let us now study some specimens examined by Bentham for the Flora 

 Anstraliensis. 



1. Box-tree of the Mackenzie River, Leichhardt, also on the Suttor River, Bowman, described by 

 both as having the bark persistent and fissured. The specimens are somewhat glaucous, the leaves rather 

 thin and broad, and often obtuse. The flowers quite those of E. crebra, the fruit not seen. This is 

 very probably an alternate-leaved state of E. melanojMoia. (B.Fl. iii, 222, under S. crebra.) 



The above two specimens are on one sheet in Herb. Kew. A note on the 

 first is " Bark fissured," and on the second " Bark fissured, not shedding." 



2. Gum-topped Box from Suttor River, Boivman, described as having the bark furrowed and 

 persistent on the trunk, coming ofT in layers on the branches. Flowers of E. crebra. Fruits of the same 

 shape, but rather larger, nmch smaller, ht)wever, than in E. drepanophylla. {B.Fl. iii, 222, under 

 E. crebra.) 



These three specimens are, in my opinion, identical. They were presented 

 to me by the Director of Kew early in 1901 as the result of an application made by 

 me during my visit to Kew in 1900. 



They are the lanceolate-leaved form of E. melanophloia, F.v.M., that species 

 having frequently lanceolate leaves and leaves of the ordinary shape on the same 

 tree. 



As regards the term " Box," as E. melanophloia approaches the warmer parts 

 of Queensland its bark assumes less of the Ironbark chai-acter, and takes on that of 

 a Box. (See my remarks on E. crehra at p. 08.) 



These specimens arc interesting, as the identical ones which caused Benthani 

 {B.Fl. iii, 221 and 222) and Mueller {EucalyiHographia) to hesitate as to the 

 relations between E. crehra and E. melanophloia^ 



