EUCALYPTUS STELLULATA. 



Sieber, in De Candolle prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilia iii. 217 (1828) ; De CandoUe, m6raoire snr 

 la famille dea myrtacees, planche 6 (1842) ; F. v. M., fragraenta phytographiae Australise ii. 45 ; Bentham, flora 

 Australiensis iii. 200. 



Leaves scattered, on rather short stalks, from oval- to narrow-lanceolar or rarely linear- 

 lanceolar, of firm consistence, hardly inequilateral, not much elongated, shining and of equal color 

 on both sides ; primary veins almost longitudinal, mostly prominent, three of them arising almost 

 jointly from near the acute base of the leaf, the circumferential vein removed from the edge ; 

 oil-dots much concealed or quite obliterated ; general flowerstalks short, cylindrical, expanded at 

 the summit, solitary, axillary or lateral ; flowers minute, rather numerous, crowded into head-like 

 umbels ; lid semiovate-conical, acute, smooth, very shining, about as long as the tube of the calyx ; 

 stamens all fertile, inflexed before expansion ; anthers cordate-kidney shaped, opening by much 

 diverging slits ; stigma not dilated ; fruits very smnll, semiovate or truncate-globular, not 

 angular, mostly 3-celled, rim comparatively broad, valves short, enclosed ; seeds without any 

 appendage, the sterile seeds usually not narrow. 



Along elevated river-valleys or flats and in cooler mountain-regions up to the subalpine zone ; 

 thus on the upper Hume-Eiver (Findlay), on the Mitta-Mitta, around the Barkly-Range, towards 

 Lake Omeo and on the Upper Genoa (F. v. M.), in the counties of Camden and Argyle (Mrs. 

 Calvert), ascending to the summits of the Blue Mountains (Rev. Dr. Woolls), extending to 

 Mudgee and Braidwood (Wilkinson), Bathurst (Cunningham), Mittagong (Rev. James Hassell), 

 New England (Leichhardt), descending in. Gippsland to Dargo-flat (Howitt), mostly in basaltic 

 areas, but also in the granite-formation, not rarely following the courses of mountain-streams. 



A tree, attaining a height of 50 feet, but seldom a stem-diameter of over 10 inches, remaining 

 in cold elevations at about 4,000 feet of shrubby growth, known as the " Black Bailee " or 

 " Muzzlewood" (Howitt), but more frequently as the " Green-barked Gum-tree." Bark of the trunk 

 rough, dark and somewhat scaly and fibrous, persistent at least on the lower part of the stem, but 

 smooth on the branches and sometimes also (from decortication) on the upper part of the stem 

 and there greenish or green-brownish or of a bronze-hue. In its shrubby stemless state already 

 flowering and fruiting copiously. Leaves often only 2 to 3 inches long, attaining however 

 sometimes a length of 5 inches. Flowers in the umbels from 15 to 6, rarely fewer still. Stamens 

 2—3 lines long ; filaments finely capillary. Style comparatively elongated. The specific name 

 alludes to the clustered flowers, arranged somewhat star-like, in the manner of the fruits of Carex 

 stellulata (of Goodenough, C. echinata of Murray), with which sedge Sieber was well acquainted. 

 The Revd. James Hassell, the Revd. Rob. Collie and the Revd. Dr. Woolls found the stems often so 

 smooth that the latter places E. stellulata even among the Leiophloise (Lectures on the Vegetable 

 Kingdom, p. 117), whereas I found cause from observations over rather extensive areas to assign 

 to this tree a place among the Ehytiphloise. The foliage is rather dense and shady. The timber 

 is not of much avail, either in quality or dimensions, but it affords a good fuel, burning well. 

 Practically the tree is of most importance on account of its hardiness, and it would be sure to 

 live in Britain on the Channel-islands, where extensive tests on the endurance of cold might well 

 be instituted with many other Eucalypts. E. stellulata exudes Kino in considerable quantity. 

 As a species it is well marked, because in the longitudinal course of the lateral nerves of the 

 leaves it has only an imitator in E. pauciflora, but the last mentioned congener attains greater 

 dimensions, has always wholly smooth bark, larger leaves, umbels usually on longer stalks and 

 always with larger flowers, the lid considerably shorter than the tube of the calyx and less acute 

 or quite blunt, and the fruit also conspicuously larger. 



