Excacaria.] CXVlI. EUtHORBIACEiE. 145? 



Female flowers in short racemes on separate specimens, the pedicels 1 to 2 lines 

 long. Perianth of 3 small acute rather thick lobes. Capsule tridymous, about 3 

 lines diameter. 



Hab.: Isltads of the GUlf of Carpentaria, E. Brown; common along the whole coast. 



Timber for making canoes. — Both. 



In India the wood is considered useful tor general carpentering purposes. 



At some excavations carried out on the banks of the Brisbane Kiver for the new Gasworks 

 the workmen came, at a' depth of some 20 to 30ft., upon large masses of fossilised leaves and 

 wood. Many of the leaves and much of the wood have doubtless belonged to trees of this 

 common coast swamp tree. 



Wood of a light colour and soft, close in the grain, and easy to -voxk.— Bailey's Cat. Ql. 

 Woods, No. 382. 



This species appears to b^ a common maritime tree in tropical Asia. 



2. E, Dallachyana (after J. Dallachy), Bail. Adans. vi. 324, as a var. of 

 E. Agallocha ; Bentli. Fl. Austr. vi. 153. Scrub Poison Tree. A slender scrub tree. 

 Leaves dark green, ovate-lanceolate or ovate, obtusely acuminate, crenate, 1 to 

 Sin. long, less coriaceous and the veins more prominent and reticulate under- 

 neath. Flowers of the male in slender spikes lin. or more long ; females in 

 slender spreading panicles, capsule tridymous. 



Hab.: Not uncommon in all river scrubs. 



When clearing ^crub land this tree is apt to spring up from the roots and poison cattle which 

 may browse upon the young shoots. 



Wood yellow with black heart, close in the grain and very tough ; might be found suitable 

 for axehandles. — Bailey's Cat. Ql. Woods, No. 383. 



3. E. parvifolia (leaves small), Mudl. Arg. in Flora 1861, 433, and in DC. 

 Prod. xvii. 1221 ; B.enth. tl. Austr. vi. 153. Gutta-percha tree. " Jil-leer," 

 Cloncurry, Palmer. Very nearly allied to E. Agallocha, and reduced by Baillon 

 like the last to a variety of that species, with narrow oblong very obtuse entire 

 leaves of -I to lin., tapering into a short petiole. The male racemes are also 

 smaller, f to lin. long. - Female flowers and fruit unknown. 



Hab.: Common round theiGulf of Carpentaria, iJ. Brown, F. v. Mueller, Landsborough. 



The natives use the bark mashed up in water in a wooden kooliman and heated with stones. 

 The :wash is applied externally to all parts of the body and rubbed in. Used for paing and 

 sickness. — Pq,liner. 



Wood hear the outside yellow, the heart dark and very beautifully marked, close-grained and 

 easily worked : an excellent wood for the cabinetmaker Bailey's Cat. Ql. Woods No, 383. 



Order OXVIII. BALANOPSE^. 



Flowers dioecious, males in amentaceous spikes, shortly pedicellate or sub- 

 sessile, l-braoteolate- Stamens numerous (2 to 12, often 5 to 6), filaments very 

 short or none. Anthp,r3 sub-sessile, ovate, 2-celled, the connective sometimes 

 produced into a minute point. Ovary rudimentary or rarely in the terminal 

 flowers minute, 2-partite. Female solitary, sessile within an involucre of imbri- 

 cate bracts. Perianth none. Ovary sessile, placentas 2, parietal imperfectly 

 2-celled. Styles 2, parted almost to the base. Drupe within the persistent 

 involucre ovoid, pyrenes 2 or 1 by abortion. Seeds in pyrene solitary, erect. 

 Albumen fleshy. Embryo stiaight, radicle inferior. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves 

 alternate, or subverticillate, coriaceous. Entire or slightly toothed, penniveined, 

 exstipulate. 



Besides the Queensland species there are several in New Caledonia; 



1. BALANOPS, Baill. 



(Fruit an acorn-like nut). 

 Characters of the Order. 



1. B. australiana (Australian), F. v. M. Fragm. x. 114, A small ^ever- 

 green tree, branchlets angular, soon glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, entire, oblong 

 or lanceolate-obovate, 3 to 4in. long, 1 to l^in. broad, cuneate at the base, more 



