EUCALYPTUS EXIMIA. 



Sohauer in Walpers' repertorium botanioes systematicse ii. 925 (1843); Bentham, flora Australienais iii. 258; WooUs in 

 the proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales v. 467 (1881). 



Finally tall ; branchlets robust, angular ; leaves scattered, on conspicuous stalks, of thick 

 consistence, lanceolar-sickleshaped, of nearly equal color on both sides, subtle and closely 

 pennate-veined, the circumferential vein close to the edge of the leaf ; oil-dots concealed ; panicles 

 axillary and chiefly terminal ; stalks rather thick, angular or somewhat compressed, bearing 2-6 

 flowers ; stalklets none; calyces shining ; lid thin, imperfectly double, almost hemispherical, 

 slightly pointed, about half as long as the conic-semiovate tube of the calyx ; inner lid tender- 

 membranous; stamens all fertile, inflexed before expansion ; anthers oval, opening by longitudinal 

 slits ; stigma not broader than the summit of the style ; fruits rather large, oval-urnshaped, 

 slightly angular ; rim narrow-edged, descending ; valves 3 rarely 4, enclosed ; fertile seeds much 

 larger than the sterile seeds, all without any appendage. 



On the slopes of the Blue Mountains, descending to the banks of the Grose- and Hawkesbury- 

 Kiver, also on the Eanges near Bent's Basin ; Eev. Dr. WooUs. 



The Mountain Bloodwood-tree or yellow- or smooth-barked Bloodwood-tree, attaining a 

 maximum height of 80 feet. Aged bark of the thickness of one inch or more, rather scaly or flaky 

 than fibrous, of a somewhat yellowish color verging into a brownish or particularly grey tinge, 

 persistent, only the smaller branches smooth. Leaves attaining sometimes 8 inches in length, 

 not shining when exsiccated. Ultimate flowerstalks from f-1^ inch long. Calyx-tube somewhat 

 angular from corrugation ; outer hd smooth, the inner lid radiating-veined. Filaments cream- 

 colored. Fruits shining, from f to nearly 1 inch long. Seeds all brown ; the fertile seeds 2-3 

 lines long and somewhat angular, the hilum at the middle of the concave side ; many of the sterile 

 seeds only about half-a^line long, some however measuring to rather more than one line. 



Imperfect specimens, collected by Dr. Leichhardt on Dogwood-creek in Queensland and 

 designated " Rusty Gum-tree " seem referable to E. eximia. 



This tree affords no durable timber, but good fuel ; the wood is soft and light-colored. Kino 

 issues from the concentric circles of the wood, but in less quantity than from E. corymbosa. 

 It is a stately species of Eucalyptus, the abundant bunches of flowers being handsomely 

 conspicuous among the dark foliage, when in about October the tree bursts into blooming. For 

 the elucidation of this Eucalyptus we are mainly indebted to the Eev. Dr. WooUs, who for a long 

 series of years devoted particularly close attention to the various Eucalypts, while investigating in 

 all its details the rich vegetation from Port Jackson to beyond the Blue Mountains. His 

 observations on the often perplexing members of this great genus are not confined to the treatise 

 above quoted, inasmuch as already in 1867 he devoted to the Eucalypts two chapters (p. 212—246) 

 of his work " Contributions to the Flora of Australia ; " these to a large extent became also 

 translated into French by Dr. Eaveret^Wattel for the " Bulletin de la Soci^tS d'Acclimatation," 

 troisifeme s6rie, tome iii. p. 17-40 (1877). 



Eucalyptus eximia is closely related to B. Watsoniana, differing mainly in narrower leaves, in 

 the smaller flowers without any stalklets, in the lid not exceeding the width of the calyx-tube, and 

 in smaller fruits with not emerging or protruding disk. In its panicles it resembles E. Abergiana, 

 but the leaves are almost sickle-shaped and not conspicuously darker above, the lid and calyx- 

 tube are separated by a clear sutural line, and the seeds are not provided with a terminating 

 membrane. E. eximia claims particularly close relationship to E. maculata ; but its distinctness 

 is vindicated by the persistency and peculiarity of the bark, by the still finer venation of the 

 leaves, by the flowers being of larger size and devoid of stalklets, by the less ready separation of 

 the outer and inner lid from each other, by the petaloid whitish not shining inner but smoother 



