EUCALYPTUS PATENS. 



Bentham, flora Australiensis iii. 247 (1866). 



Tall ; branchlets slender, upwards angular ; leaves scattered, chartaceous, lanceolar-sickle- 

 shaped, not shining, scarcely or slightly paler beneath ; their lateral veins subtle, moderately 

 spreading, the circumferential vein somewhat distant from the edge of the leaf; oil-pores soon 

 concealed, not crowded ; umbel-stalks axillary, finally lateral, solitary or the uppermost panicu- 

 lated, slender, not much angular, bearing from 3 to 7 flowers ; calyces almost semiovate, 

 attenuated into short stalklets, not much longer than the almost hemispherical short-apiculated 

 lid, not angular; stamens all fertile, inflexed before expansion; anthers ovate-cordate, opening 

 anteriorly with longitudinal almost parallel at the summit confluent slits ; stigma not broader 

 than the summit of the style ; fruits not large, truncate-ovate, narrowly edged at the summit, 4-5- 

 or rarely 3-celled, somewhat streaked ; valves enclosed, very short, almost deltoid ; fertile and 

 sterile seeds of the same form and size, all compressed, mostly not much longer than broad, none 

 provided with a marginal membrane. 



In damp vaUies of the Upper Swan-River and on slopes of fertile ridges on the Blackwood- 

 Eiver (F. v. M.) ; near the Harvey-Eiver (Oldfield) ; on ranges near the Tone-Eiver (Maxwell) 

 and in many interjacent places. 



The Blackbutt of South-Western Australia. 



A tree attaining a height of 120 feet, as observed by myself, the clear stem reaching some- 

 times fully 60 feet, and getting a diameter of 6 feet in its lower portion, and even of 10 feet near 

 the base. Bark persistent, rather deeply fissured, much like that of E. calophylla in texture, not 

 readUy separable as that of E. marginata, nor much stringy, neither dark, also not exuding kino. 

 Leafstalks from •!■ to 1 inch long. Leaves from 3 to 6 inches long, usually from ^ to 1 inch 

 broad, or some widened to H inch or narrowed to ^ inch, a slight recurvature perceptible at the 

 extreme margin ; dots well visible only in very young leaves. Flowerstalks ^1 inch long. 

 Stalklets occasionally lengthened to ^ inch. Tube of the calyx ^^ inch long. Filaments 

 yellowish-white. Anthers very pale, some broad -cordate. Fruits |-^ inch long. Seeds 

 measuring about one line in length. 



The stomata occur in about equal number on both pages of the leaves, approximately 

 60,000 to a square inch. 



In flower about February. 



The characteristics of the bark bring this species into the series of Ehytiphloite. In the 

 anthereal system it forms with E. Todtiana, E. decipiens and E. concolor a transit from 

 Eenantherfe to the ParallelantherEe, but is best retained among the latter. The difierences 

 between E. patens and E. Todtiana are explained under the last-mentioned species. 



The branches of E. patens are not more spreading than in the majority of Eucalypts ; but 

 Mr. Bentham derived possibly the specific name from the considerably spreading veins of the 

 leaves. 



The timber of B. patens is considered a durable kind in South-Western Australia ; it is 

 tough, hence used for wheelwright's work ; it does not yield to ordinary splitting processes. 



Species of Eucalyptus, like the present, not particularly valuable for their timber, would 

 still afford (irrespective of fuel) ready material for dry distillation. The tar, vinegar and spirits, 

 thus obtainable, find frequent use in techuic operations. The percentage of tar, of acetic acid 

 and xylo-alcohol, resulting from heating Eucalyptus-wood under exclusion of air, bears fair 



