176 



Speaking of Murray River (Victoria) specimens, Mr. W. S. Bi'ownscombe 

 says : — "T^^pical forms of E. oleosa and E. incrassata, var. dumosa, are very much 

 alike from a distance, in their habit and shape of leaf, but E. oleosa, in the colour of 

 the leaf, assumes a more saturated green." 



The anthers are very different. The young foliage (and often the mature 

 foliage) of E. oleosa is glaucous, the buds of E. oleosa are commonly with rostrate 

 opercula, those of var. dumosa are usually longitudinally marked ; the fruits of 

 E. oleosa are more spherical, and have awl-like protruding tips of the valves. 



10. With E.fceeunda, Schauer. 



Ante, p. 169. I have adduced evidence that E. oleosa and E. fcecunda have 

 been confused, and therefore a word of warning is necessary. At the same time they 

 are not closely related. The leaves are. sometimes similar, but the veins are more 

 spreading in E. fcecunda. The fruits incline to be spherical in E. oleosa; ttey are 

 more cylindrical in E. fcecnnda. The tips of the valves ai-e exsert in the former 

 species. 



11. With E. eornuta, Labill. 



In trying to ascertain the meaning of the word " Foot," the following 

 communications to The Western Mail (Perth) of the 15th January, 1910, are of 

 interest : — 



" Farmer " (Katanning) says that, to the best of his belief, the name " Poot " is of aboriginal 

 origin, and is applied by old bushmen to either Morrel or Yate. There is a close outward resemblance 

 between these two trees, although of course they are quite distinct. 



Mr. Fred. Brockman, Chief Surveyor, says that while the Yate of the Albany district and the 

 Morrel of the Eastern districts are quite distinct in outward characteristics, the two varieties seem to 

 imperceptibly merge into one another, so that in places it is difficult to decide whether the trees are Yate 

 or Morrel. 



He suggests the theory that the timbers Yate from the South Coast and Morrel from the Eastern 

 disti'ict have met (say, in the latitude of Katanning), that from the common point a process of hybridising 

 has proceeded, spreading northward until Yate is lost in Morrel, and south until Morrel is lost in Yate ; 

 that this hybridising is not perfectly regular, and that the name of Poot has been used in the South Coast 

 districts to distinguish from the Yate that part of the forest which has most markedly retained the 

 characteristics of the Morrel. As a result of this, the man from the South Coast would naturally apply 

 the name Poot to the Morrel Of the more northern area. 



I would, however, point out that the species E. oleosa and E. eornuta are not 

 closely related, and that Yate {E. eornuta) differs from Poot or Morrel [E. oleoma) in 

 the following very obvious characters : — 



Yate has a pale-coloured timber and has buds with remarkably long opercula; 

 the shapes of the fruits of the two species are very different. The leaves and 

 anthers are also very different. 



Hybridism. 



I believe I have evidence of hybridism between this species and E. incrassata, 

 var. dumosa. Discussion and a figure of this form will be referred to when 

 hybridism is considered. 



