184 



Vernacular Names. — In its smoother-barked (Victorian) form it bears the name of " Mountain 

 Ash," and even " White Gum," but it varies as to the amount of rough bark, and, indeed, its commonest 

 name in Victoria is " Blackbutt." In New South Wales it is most usually called " Blackbutt ' also, 

 though in one district the name " Cut-tail " is in use. 



Bark. — It has more or less of a sub-fibrous, dark -coloured bark on the butt and trunk. On the 

 giant trees of Victoria there is often very little of this bark, but on others, in the same State, this hark 

 runs further up the trunk and becomes more or less ribbony. In the same State, but more commonly in 

 New South Wales, the whole of the trunk and part of the branches become covered. The smooth portion 

 is white and smooth, and thus it follows that the same species may be either a White Gum or a Blackbutt. 



Timber. — A timber can scarcely be more fissile than that of the straightest growing and largest of 

 these trees. All trees of this species, however, possess this property of fissility in a marked degree. It is 

 pale-coloured, and is extensively used for saw-mill purposes. 



Juvenile Leaves. — " The young seedlings of this Eucalypt are at first like those of the typical 

 amygdalina (this is hardly correct ; they are never so narrow. — J.H.M. ) but with somewhat broader, 

 lanceolar, opposed leaves. These are soon replaced by broadly lanceolar, scattered, unequal-sided, pointed 

 leaves, very like those of E. obliqua. The saplings so much resemble those of this Eucalypt in other 

 respects that at first sight they might be confused." (A. W. Howitt, Eucalypts of Gippsland [Trans. Roy. 

 Soc. Vict., ii, 87.]) Their shape is brought out in Plate 33, fig. 2. The leaf is undulate, and the margin is 

 irregularly toothed. 



Mature Leaves. — Lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, shining on both sides, usually thin in texture 

 (but sometimes quite coriaceous), veins slightly spreading, oil-dots extremely numerous. Indeed, a common 

 method of recognising E. regnans is to hold up a leaf to the light and to notice the fine oil-dots which 

 cover its surface, but this character should be used with caution as the leaves of some other species possess it. 



I5ll(ls. — The operculum hemispherical to conical, the pointed character being more obvious in dried 

 specimens. 



Flowers. — The anthers reniform. While the umbels are mostly solitary, it is not unusual to find 

 them in pairs, a character which is shared with some other species of the Renantherce, e.g., E. Andrewsi, 

 Maiden. 



Fruits.- -The shape and size are alike variable. The calyx nearly hemispherical, but more usually 

 gradually continued into the stalk, so as to take on a conoid shape. The pedicels not long, but the 

 common petiole often an inch long. The rim prominent, usually more or less domed, and the valves 

 usually exsert. The valves were originally described as enclosed, but this is not commonly the case in 

 perfectly ripe fruits. 



SYNONYMS. 



1. E. amygdalina, Labill. var. regnans, F.v.M. 



2. E. amygdalina, Labill. var. colossea, F.v.M. 



3. E. inophloia, F.v.M. 



4. E. fastigata, Deane and Maiden. 



NOTES ON THE SYNONYMS. 



1. E. amygdalina, Labill. var. regnans, F.v.M. Mueller wavered a good deal 

 as to tbe specific rank of K regnans, as has been pointed out, and distributed much 

 material under the name quoted, 



