215 



These values are obtained from timbers collected from five widely-distributed (separated) localities. 



Although the amount of ash constituents in the woody portions of the species referred to is so 

 small, a much larger quantity is found in their leaves, those of E. regnans giving 2-85 per cent, of ash, 

 those of E. pihdaris 2-91 per cent. 



The buds, petioles, seed-cases and seeds also contain a considerable amount of mineral matter : 

 thus in the case of E. pihdaris — 



Buds, with petioles 3-79 per cent. 



Seed-cases (fruits) 2-89 ,, 



Seeds 1-04 



The mineral matter in these portions of the tree, like that of the leaves, would obviously be 

 available for repeated use. 



A striking peculiarity of several groups of Eucalypts is the comparative constancy of the amount 



" of manganese in the ash of the timber of a given species from trees grown over the whole range covered 



by the species ; thus the amount found in E. pilularis from five widely-distributed localities ranged 



between 0-2 and 0-26 per cent.; E. regnans gave 0-27 per cent.; E. Delegatensis (gigantea), 0-3 per cent.; 



E. obliqua, 0-22 per cent. 



The mean results obtained in the case of these four species show that the manganese present in 

 their timber represents only one part in about one million parts of anhydrous wood; in five species of 

 " Ironbarks " it is one part in 60,000 parts (3). Again, in the case of this group, whatever the variation 

 in the percentage amount of ash in the timber of the several species of the group, the ratio of Mn to the 

 other inorganic constituents is remarkably uniform; the following are results obtained with the five 

 principal " Ironbarks " 





Per cent, ol Aah. 



Per cent 



. of Jin. in ash. 



E. paniculata 



047 





140 



E. siderophloia 



0-17 





1-25 



E. melanophloia 



0-172 





1-50 



E. sideroxylon 



0-072 





1-15 



E. crebra 



0-06 





1-50 



The indications these ash results afford is that E. crebra, and to a lesser extent, E. sideroxylon, would 

 be found growing naturally on soils more siliceous than that consonant with the other species of 

 " Ironbarks " : this is fairly borne out by results. 



There are considerable differences in the general character of other mineral constitutents of the 

 several groups of Eucalypts as well as in the amount of mineral matter stored, but there is an approximate 

 relative constancy in the amounts of certain elements required by the members of the several groups. 

 Magnesium is a pronounced constituent in the ashes of species belonging to some groups, whilst calcium 

 predominates in those of others. Representative species of the three large groups, the " Boxes," the 

 " Ironbarks," and the " Ashes," show this fact somewhat clearly; the results in each case with members 

 of the same groups agree closely. 



" Boxes " (E. Jiemiphloia and E. albens) : — 



Mean percentage in ash. 



CaO 51-31 



MgO ... ... 2-13 



" Ironbarks " {E. siderophloia and E. paniculata) : — 



Mean percentage in. ash. 



CaO ... 29-63 



MgO ... ... ... 6-92 



"' Ashes " (E. Delegatensis (gigantea) and E. regnans) : — 



Kean percentage in ash. 



CaO 16-11 



MgO ... ..1 21-76 



