EUCALYPTUS HOWITTIANA. 



F. V. M, in Wing's Southern Science Record ii. 171 (1882). 



Finally tall ; branchlets angular ; leaves on stalks of moderate length, scattered, ovate- or 

 oftener elongate-lanceolar, dark-green above, much paler beneath ; their lateral veins numerous, 

 pinnately spreading, very subtle, the circumferential vein at a slight distance from the edge ; oU- 

 pores much concealed or obliterated ; panicles axillary and particularly terminal ; their ultimate 

 branchlets short, angular, bearing generally from three to six flowers without any separate 

 stalklets ; calyces very small; their tube semiovate or semielliptical, not quite so long or only half 

 as long as the pale conical acute lid; stamens all fertile ; filaments before expansion flexuous and 

 towards the summit bent inward ; anthers minute, cordate- or renate-globular, opening by longitu- 

 dinal slits ; stigma not broader than the summit of the style ; fruits very small, ovate-globular, 

 truncated, narrow at the margin ; valves 3-4 minute, almost deltoid, inserted near the orifice ; 

 sterile seeds extremely short ; fertile seeds very small, almost ovate, neither considerably angular 

 nor provided with any membranous appendage. 



Near Rockingham's Bay at Lake Lucy, Dallachy ; thence to the falls of the Herbert-River 

 and also at Glendhu, but nowhere gregarious ; B. R. Stafi'ord. 



A tree, attaining a height of about 100 feet, and at the basal butt a girth of 12 feet. Bark 

 less fissured than that of the so-called Box-Eucalypts, more resembling that of the Stringybark- 

 trees. Wood however much like that of the former, but its fibres not quite so interwoven, 

 hence easier to split. Foliage throwing great shade. (Inspector Stafi'ord.) Leaves 2-5 inches 

 long, |-1 J inches broad, gradually pointed, usually not much curved, with an oily lustre on the 

 surface, not shining underneath ; their reticular veinlets very subtle ; their stomata developed on 

 the underside only. Panicles not very ample, from 1^ to 6 inches long. Tube of the calyx 

 slightly angular; lid almost membranous, smooth, only about \ of an inch long. Filaments 

 nearly white ; anthers very pale ; their gland inconspicuous ; their cells ellipsoid, parallel, slit 

 marginally. Style exceedingly thin, considerably extended beyond the calyx-tube. Fruits 

 smooth, shining, of hardly more than \ inch measurement, not angular. 



This species bears the name of A. W. Howitt, Esq., F.L.S., F.G-.S., a worthy heir of parental 

 literary fame, who, as an assiduous investigator of the geology and oryctognosy of Gippsland, 

 also shed much light on the regional distribution and the specific characteristics of the Eucalypts 

 of that district. 



E. Howittiana comes in some respects near E. Raveretiana, sharing in the remarkable 

 smallness and also much in the form of the fiowers ; but it differs significantly in more rigid and 

 often broader leaves with darker and shining upper page, and with hardly perceptible oil-glands ; 

 furthermore flower-stalklets are not developed or only to a trifiing extent, the calyx-tube is not 

 so short, nor are the fruit-valves extruded. With no other species is it closely connected, though 

 the shape of the calyx reminds of that of E. stellulata. The foliage resembles that of E. Cloeziana, 

 but is much wanting in oil-dots; the lid is however very different, and the fruits are much 

 contracted towards the summit. 



Flowering time, so far as recorded, March and April. 



This is one of the limited number of Eucalyptus-species, available for shade trees ; and 

 although it is naturally an intratropic one, doubtless like other congeners from the hottest parts 

 of Australia, this species also could be reared in far extratropic latitudes. Here it may be aptly 

 remarked, that the process of raising Eucalypts is one of extreme simplicity. Well-ripened seeds, 



