Eucalyptus 1^39 



A small tree, usually 20 to 30 ft. high in Tasmania, but occasionally attaining 

 in sheltered places a height of 80 ft. Bark smooth and whitish, the outer layers 

 peeling off in thin strips. Young branchlets slender, terete, more or less covered 

 with' a glaucous bloom. Leaves (Plate 365, Fig. 5) on adult trees, alternate, 

 averaging 2 to 2^ in. long, and | to f in. broad, ovate-lanceolate, thick and firm in 

 texture, rounded or cuneate and equal-sided at the base, usually straight and not 

 falcate, gradually tapering to an acute apex, tipped with a short point; margin 

 entire, revolute, whitish ; equally greyish or glaucous green on both surfaces ; oil- 

 dots numerous, unequal, often concealed ; lateral veins few, inconspicuous, arising 

 at an angle of 70° ; circumferential vein undulate, distant about -^ in. from the edge 

 of the blade ; petiole stout, twisted, about ^ in. long. 



Young plants ^ have glaucous branchlets and foliage ; leaves sessile, opposite in 

 decussate pairs, oval or ovate, cordate at the base ; rounded or acute at the apex, 

 which is tipped with a short point ; crenate in margin. As the plants grow older, 

 and on suckers, the leaves become thicker in texture, and more ovate in outline. 



Flowers in axillary umbels of threes ; peduncle slender, ^ in. long ; pedicels 

 distinct, about -^^ in. long ; flower-buds glaucous ; calyx-tube campanulate, ^ in. 

 long ; operculum nearly hemispheric, much shorter than the calyx-tube, tipped with a 

 short umbonate point ; stamens all perfect, inflexed in the bud ; anthers ovate, with 

 parallel distinct cells. Fruit glaucous, pear-shaped, distinctly pedicellate, ^ in. long, 

 ^ in. wide at the distal end, where it is contracted ; rim narrow ; capsule sunk, with 

 three to four valves, which when open scarcely reach the orifice. 



This species has scarcely any of the pungent odour, so common in many other 

 species ; and Mueller says that it is liable on this account to have the foliage browsed 

 by cattle and sheep. 



The typical form of £. Gunnii was discovered by Sir J. D. Hooker in 1840, 

 "forming a forest of small trees in a swampy soiP at elevations of 3000 to 4000 ft. 

 in the centre of Tasmania, where it is known to stock-keepers as yielding abundantly 

 an agreeable sap ; and hence is called cider tree or swamp gum." Rodway, who 

 calls it cider gum, states that it is found in the midlands and lake country of 

 Tasmania as a small tree seldom exceeding 20 ft. ; but rarely in sheltered places 

 attaining 80 ft. high. 



It was subsequently found by Mueller on the summit of Mount Baw Baw in 

 Victoria ; and the same tree, according to Maiden, also grows in the Tingeringi and 

 Snowy mountains of New South Wales at about 5000 ft. elevation. 



This tree is considered by the colonists in Tasmania to be different from 

 E. acervula, which is known as red gum, and only occurs at low levels. Both 

 Sir J. D. Hooker and Rodway consider these two species to be quite distinct ; 

 and I see no reason for uniting them together under the same name {^E. Gunnii), as 

 has been done by Maiden and some other botanists. The transitional forms noticed 

 by Maiden, of which I have seen no specimens, are more likely to be hybrids than 

 varieties, 



• Figured in Gard. Chron. xix. 437, fig. 65 (1883). 



2 Rodway, in a letter to Elwes, says E. Gunnii is almost entirely confined to exposed moorland at an altitude above 

 2000 ft., and will not live at low elevations. 



VI 2 R 



