34 



magna, suo tractu " Stringybark tree " colonis vocata, trunco recto cum ramis corticem extus rugosum 

 nigrcscenti cinereum intus fibrosum gerente. Folia 3-5" longa, A-1 " lata. Calyx in pedicellum angulatum 

 desinens. Operculum 3'" longum ; fructus lignosi, 3-4'" longi. 



(Journ. Linn. Soc, iii, 87, 1859.) 



" JEJ. fibrosa, P.v.M., seems to be a variety of U. siderophloia with a lon!T:erlid — 

 ' Strini^ybark tree of Brisbane River,' {EucalyiitoQrapJda, under E. siderophloia).'" 



Bentham himself says : — " JE. fibrosa, F.v.M., from the Brisbane, is only 

 known from specimens in young bud, in which state I am unable to distinguish 

 them from var. rostrata of E. siderophloia. F. Mueller, however, designates it as a 

 Stringybark. It may, therefore, prove to be distinct." {See B.Pl., iii, 220.) If 

 the note in regard to the texture of the bark be correct (and there is no reason to 

 doubt it), the plant would come under E.pilularis, besides which I have specimens 

 of that species from South Queensland, which have a rather long operculum. The 

 balance of evidence is therefore, in my opinion, in favour of it being a synonym of 

 E. jnlularis. 



" Euc. galbulus, aff. hort. Neapol. Tenore" Herb. Monac, is E. pilularis, Sm. 



Var. Miiellermna, var. nov. 



We now come to the forms which, in my opinion, constitute a new variety of 

 E. pilularis, viz., Iluelleriana. E. Muelleriana, Howitt, is the type of the variety, 

 and the E. dextropinea and E. lavopinea of Mr. E-. T. Baker are identical with it. 



7. E. Muelleriana, Howitt. 



Following is the original description of the species : — 



Tlie bole is straight and rather mas.sive, witli moderately-.spreading branches, and a fibrous and 

 dark-grey bark, which is more deeply and coarsely fissured than that of E. piperita — in fact, resembling 

 the bark of E. capitellaia where that species grows to a good size in favourable localities. The bark is 

 persistent up to the small boughs, which are more or less smooth. The leaves of the aged trees are 

 lanceolar, falcate, and more or less unequal-sided, rather dark green in colour, equally shining on both 

 sides, and usually three to five times as long as broad, with a sharp apex. 



The seedlings have narrow lanceolar opposed leaves of a dark green, shining, but paler on the 

 underside. In the earlier stages they are frequently more or less beset with small tufts of hairs. I have 

 noticed that the leaves are still opposed in young plants 2 feet to 3 feet in height. In young .saplings, 

 and those some feet in height, the leaves are rather broad, lanceolar, or ovate lanceolar in shape, less sliiny 

 on tlie lower face, much dotted with transparent pores, and rather thin in substance. A marked feature 

 in the saplings of tliis eucalypt, and one by which it can be distinguished almost at a glance from those of 

 other stringybarks, is that tlie broadl)' lanceolar and pointed leaves have a tendency to assume a 

 horizontal position rather than a vertical one, and this gives the saplings a shining appearance. The 

 stems of these saplings and young trees arc somewhat smoother than those of E. piperita, E. capitellata, 

 or E. macrorrhyncha. The umbels are usually solitary, and there is a marked tendency in the eucalypt 

 for them to become strongly paniculated. The buds are from 3-1 2 in most of the umbels. The stalk is 

 frequently slightly flattened, and not much longer than the buds, and the stalklet nearly as long as the 

 calyx-tube, the lid semiovate to hemispheric, smooth, and occasionally slightly pointed, the stamens 

 (rather sparse) are large and reniform like those of E. capitellata. Fruit almost hemispherical to 

 approaching semiovate ; the rim flat or even slightly inverted, not wide, valves deltoid, small, and 

 inserted or, rarely, more slightly prominent ; 4-valved, less frequently 3 to 5-valved. — (Howitt, Trans. 

 R. S. Vict., 1890). 



