32 



Eucalyptus saligna, Sm.* 



The N.S.W. Blue or Flooded Gum. 



Botanical Name. — Saligna, Latin, signifying pertaining to a willow, in 

 allusion to the leaves and habit of the tree, but the name is not a happy one, 

 as the foliage is very seldom willow-like. 



Vernacular Names. — " Sydney Blue Gum." This timber requires some 

 distinctive designation to prevent its confusion with the pale-coloured Blue 

 Gum of Tasmania and Victoria. I have elsewhere called it New South 

 Wales Blue Gum by way of distinction, but, as this is such a ponderous 

 name, that of " Sydney Blue Gum " may be more acceptable ; often also 

 caUed " Flooded Gum." 



In the South Coast district sometimes it is called " Woolly Butt," because 

 of its confusion with the true Wqolly Butt, the two trees resembling each 

 other a good deal in this particular district. I draw attention to the matter 

 in this connection, because, in this district at least, our Blue Gum is 

 inferior in durability to 'the true Woolly Butt {E. longifolui), so much so 

 that it is there rarely used for posts and other undergroimd work. In the 

 same district the latter is also called " Eedwood." 



Fruit. — The shape of the fruit of the Blue Gum will, it is hoped, be clear 

 from the drawing. As a guide it may be remarked that, as a very general 

 rule, there is a narrow space between the valves and the rim of the fruit 

 wide enough for one to insert the thickness of the finger-nail or a penknife 

 blade. If this little point be grasped it will be found to be useful. The 

 fruit with which that of the Blue Gum is most likely to be confused is the 

 Bangalay or Bastard Mahogany {Eucalyptus hotryoides), and I would 

 suggest tha't persons interested gather the fruits of the two trees, and 

 compare them for themselves. There is no absolutp line of separation 

 between Sydney Blue Gum and Bangalay. The Gosford-Newcastle district 

 is a convenient one to test this statement, which seems strange at first sight. 



Variety. — There is a variety known as var. pallidivalris. Baker and 

 Smith, often known as " Flooded Gum," though not exclusively so. 



BarJc. — The Blue Gum is a smooth-barked tree, but it has more or less 

 fibrous bark near the butt. Sometimes the fibrous bark is almost as absent 

 as in the case of a White Gum, while in the case of some South Coast trees 

 it extends so far up the trunk as to make the confusion between this species 

 and Eucalyptus longifolia (the Woolly Butt) excusable. '' Some trees 

 smooth and whitish, others are rough-barked for a considerable height, 

 occasionally to 40 feet." (A. E. Crawford.) 



Timber. — One of the bes't hardwoods of the State, usually of a pale red 

 colour, straight in the grain, comparatively easy to work, and, therefore, a 

 favourite with carpenters. The timber is of a lower specific gravity than 

 that of most Eucalypts, being not very close-grained. It is largely used by 

 shipwrights and wheelwrights, and is a very useful hardwood. It is exten- 

 sively used for building purposes, ships' planks, &c., and is the most widely 

 used of our timbers for felloes of wheels. Although this timber varies a 



* There is an allied species, E. Deanei Maiden, with "round" leaves (by comparison). 

 And inferior timber, which has not yet been figured in the " Forest Flora." 



