308 THE FLORA OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, 



In honour of Sir W. Baldwin Spencer, K.C.M.G., who on his scientific 

 expedition from Port Darwin to the Roper River in July -August, 1911, and again 

 in the following year, at my request brought excellent flowering material of the 

 species. 



RANGE. 



Northern Austraha, using the term in a wide sense, that is to say, the 

 Northern Territory and Northern Western Australia. In the Northern 

 Territory it extends from near the coast to a considerable distance inland. Its 

 range has not been fully ascertained. 



Specific locahties are : — 



Port Darwin (M. Holtze) in Herb., Melbourne, as E. microtheca, F. v. M. 



348.^ — " Box Gum." Just going off flower. Rapid Creek, near Darwin 

 (near coast). (Dr. H. I. Jensen). 6th November, 1915. 



346. — " Common Box Gum." Burrundie, 5th November, 1915. (Dr. 

 H. I. Jensen). In flower, with a few ripe fruits. 



347. " Common Box Gum." Growing outside Courthouse, Pine Creek, 

 6th November, 1915. (Dr. H. I. Jensen). In plump bud. 



" Black Box. Rare." Edith River, near Roper River, May-September, 

 1911. (W. S. Campbell). 



In flower, Darwin to Roper River, 1912. (W. Baldwin Spencer.) 



422. — " Box." Woolngi (Fergusson Railway Crossing). 5th July. 

 1916. " The slate country where the slates are aluminous and fissile has Box 

 preponderating. This Box is identical with my Pine Creek Box (sent under 

 Nos. 346, 347, 348." (Dr. H. I. Jensen). 



346,- 347, 348.—" This is the Coolibar or Box of the Northern Territory. 

 The wood burns to a clean white ash, much appreciated for making dampers. 

 Excellent, durable timber, but not white-ant proof. In general appearance the 

 tree is such a typical Box, that I put it down as E. microtheca." (Dr. H. I. 

 Jensen). 



The following specimen is from North Western Austraha. 



" Eucalyptus N.W.C." (North West Coast). AUan Cunningham, in 

 Hookerian Herbarium, referred to E. drepanophylla, F. v. M., by Bentham 

 (B. FL, iii., 221). 



AFFINITIES. 



E. Spenceriana has affinity with E. microtheca in regard to anthers and to 

 E. papuana, F. v. M., and allied species as regards fruits. 



1 . With E. microtheca, F. v. M. 



Mueller, who had apparently not seen fruits, labelled one specimen E. 

 microtheca, and Dr. Jensen assumed that it was that species. E. microtheca 

 is apparently Comparatively rare in the Northern Territory. Reference to 

 Plate 52, Vol. ii.. Grit. Rev. Eucal., shows that the two species are sharply 

 different as regards the typical fruits, those of E. microtheca being very 

 small, hemispherical and having the valves very much exserted. At the same 

 time, I have seen specimens [e.g., Reid River, via Townsville, Queensland, 

 Nicholas Daley, 24th February, 1912), which show evidence of slight transition 

 in the fruits. 



The timbers of E. Spenceriana and E. microtheca appear to closely resemble 

 each other. 



