DESCRIPTION. 



XXXII. Eucalyptus piperita, Sm. 



FoiiLO\riN& is the original description : — 



E. piperita, operculo heniisphserico mucronulato, umbellis lateralibus subpaniculatis solitariisve ; 

 pedunculis conrpressis, rarnulis angulatis. 



Lid hemispherical, with a little point. Umbels lateral, somewhat paniculated, or solitary : flower 

 stalks compressed ; young branches angular. — Syn. E. piperita, White's Voy. p. 226, figure of the leaves 

 only. 



A fine essential oil, much like that of Peppermint, is obtained from this species, and every part of 

 the dried plant exhales the same odour when rubbed. We are now convinced this is distinct from the 

 following (E. obliqua), having compared the flowers of both. At the same time we have observed the 

 minute white spots on the leaves (White's Voy., 228) in E. piperita, as well as in the other. — (" Zoology and 

 Botany of New Holland," by G. Shaw and J. E. Smith, 1793, Vol. i, p. 42.) 



Some confusion which has gathered around this species and E. capitellata 

 described by Smith at the same time, is explained at p. 211, part VIII, of this work. 



Smith again described the plant in Trans. Linn. Soc, iii, 286 (1797). 



I have examined the following early specimens, and they are all E. piperita :— 



(a) " Eucalyptus, Governor Phillip, New South Wales, ex herb. Lambert." 

 Herb. Cant, ex herb. Lemann. 



(b) " Eucalyptus piperita, X. Holland, Dr. Smith, ex herb. Lambert." Herb. 



Cant, ex herb. Lemann. Apparently a co-type. 



(c) No. 4,725 of Robert Brown's specimens (1802-5) distributed by the late 



Mr. J. J. Bennett. 



(d) "Eucalyptus closely allied to E. paniculate/,, Sm., Port Jackson, A.C." 

 Herb. Cant, ex herb. Lindl. Label in Allan Cunningham's handwriting. 



Then we have — 



" 221. E. piperita, Smith. W., sp. (Willdenow's) 2.978. Hab. in Australia, Fol. 3' lg. 1' It, parum 

 acutata basi subovata." (Link's Enuineratio.) 



We have also Hoffmannsegg — 



"431. Eucalyptus piperita. In Link Enum. folia . . . basi subovata dicuntur, itidemque in 

 E. media,, mucronata, et reticulata. In Flor. Port, autem constitutum est, ovatum esse id, cujus latitudo 

 plus quam dimidium sit longitudinis. Tunc hie terminus basin respicere nequit. Forte cl. Aut. sententiam 

 ibi pronunciatam mutavit ; equidem ei semper, utpote utilem expertus, fideliter adhasreo." ( Verz. Pfl. 

 Nachtr. 2, p. 114.) 



E. piperita was first fully described in English by Bentham, in B.F1. iii, 2')7. 

 Mueller described it and figured it in his " Eucalyptographia," but his figure is very 

 unsatisfactory, and his description shows that he has confused it somewhat with 

 E. eurjenioides, Sm. — like E. piperita, a common Sydney species. 



The fruits depicted are intermediate between those of E. piperita and 

 E. pilularis or E. eugenioides ; they are far from being typical. Mueller states 

 ("Eucalyptographia," under piperita) that the seedling or juvenile foliage there 



