EUCALYPTUS OCCIDENTALIS. 



Endlioher, in Huegel enumeratio plantarum Noveb Hollandise austro-occidentalis 49 (1837) ; Schauer, in Lehmann 

 plantae Preissianse i. 128 ; F. v. M., fragmenta phytographias Australise ii. 39 ; Bentham, flora Australiensis iii. 

 235. 



The flat-topped " Yate." 



Finally tall ; leaves scattered, oval- or oftener sicldeshaped-lanceolar, of thick consistence 

 and of equal color on both sides ; their lateral veins neither prominent nor crowded, moderately 

 spreading, the circumferential vein somewhat distant from the edge ; oil-dots much concealed ; 

 umbel-stalks compressed, sometimes dilated, axillary or lateral, solitary, rarely a few terminally 

 joined, bearing from 3 to 12 flowers ; stalklets angular, about as long as the calyx-tube or 

 variously shorter ; lid cylindric-conical, about twice as long as the obconic-bellshaped tube of the 

 calyx ; stamens all fertile ; filaments yellowish, straight while in bud, rather rigid ; anthers 

 ellipsoid, opening in longitudinal slits ; style about as long as the stamens ; stigma slightly 

 dilated ; fruits obovate-bellshaped or truncate-pearshaped, 4-, rarely 3- or 5-celled, not conspi- 

 cuously angular, but somewhat streaked ; their rim ratlier narrow, finally prominent ; valves about 

 half-exserted, awlshaped-pointed, free ; seeds without appendage, the sterile seeds numerous, very 

 small, but comparatively not very narrow. 



From the Tone-River to regions inland near Cape Le Grand and the Broken Ranges near 

 Orleans-Bay (Maxwell), forming part of the scrubs, known to extend about 40 miles northward 

 of Bdicup (Muir) and to ascend high up to the Stirling's Range (F. v. M.), occurring on clayey 

 as well as on sandy soil, also occupying wet places. 



In the shrubby state several stems originate from one root, but they may attain 20 feet in 

 height ; in favorable localities, such as sheltered valleys with better soU and on banks of streams, 

 a tree rising to 120 feet, and (according to my observations in the Melbourne botanic garden) of 

 rapid growth. Stem of aged trees to a considerable extent smooth, the outer rough more corky 

 and somewhat fibrous portion delapsing in thin hard pieces partially. Limbs smooth and whitish, 

 more erect than spreading, giving a compact head of foliage to the tree, the branches terminating 

 at not very unequal height, by which means the tree assumes a flat-topped appearance and gets 

 an almost fannelshaped outline. Bark of twigs reddish-brown. Heart-wood dark, the other 

 portion of the wood pale. Branchlets slightly or strongly angular. Leaves sometimes almost 

 equilateral, more or less shining on both pages, rarely only about 1^ inches long, the veins in the 

 broader forms of leaves more spreading. Umbel-stalks often recurved, particularly so in age, 

 attaining sometimes a length of fully 1 inch, but usually shorter, though never very short. Lid 

 with the exception of the base mostly narrower than the tube of the calyx. Stamens often less 

 numerous than those of many other species ; filaments also thicker than those of very many other 

 congeners, rather bristly than capillary, from i to | inch long, angular, dotted with oil-glands, 

 suddenly terminated in a pointed apex, sometimes seemingly almost orange-colored. Anthers 

 fixed above their base ; connective dorsally rather broad, glandular-turgid towards the summit 

 beneath. Style slender. Capsular vertex of the fruit pyramidal-hemispherical ; valves sometimes 

 abbreviated. Fertile seeds few, about f line long ; testa from fine streaks and minute dots 

 densely reticulated. 



The timber is hard and strong, thus sought by wheelwrights (Th. Muir), and probably as 

 valuable as that of E. cornuta (the ordinary " Yate "). Oldfield records this species as flowering 

 already when only 3-4 feet high on sand-ridges, but where probably the bushes were previously 



