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Blackbutt Series. 



1. Eucalyptus pilularis (The True Blackbutt). 



2. Eucalyptus Muelleriana (Yellow Stringybark). 



3. Eucalyptus acmenioides (Wiite Mahogany). 



4. Eucalyptus goniocalyx (Mountain Gum). 



5. Eucalyptus Sieberiana (Yowut or Mountain Ash). 



6. Eucalyptus ohliqua (Broad-leaved Messmate). 



Eucalyptus pilularis, Sm. 



' The Blackbutt. 



Botanical Name. — pilularis, from the Latin pilula, a little ball or round 

 knob, in allusion to the shape of the fruit. 



Vernacular Names. — It is the tree which mo^t usually goes under the name 

 of " Blackbutt," andi sometimes by way of distinction, for it attains enormous 

 size, as will be seert presently, the " Great Blackbutt." It is a stately, shapely 

 tree, and perhaps the best known of all the genus to Sydney residents, as 

 it is so abundant. It belongs to the group of eucalypts caUed " half -barked," 

 because its rough outer bark is confined to the trunk of the tree, the branches 

 being smooth and white. From the latter circumstance it shares with some 

 other species the designation of " White-top." The outer bark of this tree is 

 fibrous and closely matted, forming, if I may make the comparison, a sort of 

 middle link betweeen such fibrous-barked trees as the Stringybarks and such 

 smooth ones as our White Gum. I do not know that the term " black," as 

 applied to the butt, is particularly appropriate ; the word " grey " would be 

 better, though exception could be taken to this adjective also. 



Leaves. — l^ote the pale underside of the leaf. 



Baric. — Has fibrous bark on the butt, while 1;he branches are smooth, like 

 those of a gum. 



Timher. — Pale-coloured, more or less fissile, though sometimes quite 

 interlocked in grain. It is a strong, durable, thoroughly safe, and well-tried 

 timber. It is usually readily diagnosed by the presence of narrow, con- 

 centric gum-veins, but sometimes these gum-veins are nearly or wholly, 

 absent. As a rule they are too narrow to cause deterioration. Sometimes, 

 particularly on the Northern Eivers, it is free from gum-veins, and then 

 presents considerable similarity to Tallow-wood (E. microcorys), for which 

 it is occasionally substituted. It occasionally, though rarely, shows pin- 

 holes. , 



It is one of the best liardwoods we have for house and ship building. 

 It is useful for bridge-planking, though inferior to Tallow-wood for that 

 purpose. It has been tested for many years for blocks for wood-paving, 

 with most satisfactory results; in fact, it is one of the best timbers we 

 have for the purpose, both as regards wear and durability. It takes tar welL 



