304 



I would draw attention to the following specimens : — 



(a) Bark fibrous ; not so fibrous as that of a typical Stringybark, and perhaps 

 little more fibrous than that of the ordinary E. piperita. The fruits nearly 

 globular and showing a mottled appearance, due to unequal shrinkage of 

 the outer layers of cells of tbe fruit. The orifice small, the rim depressed 

 and not very prominent. The specimens, which are from Port Jackson, 

 precisely match some labelled, in Baron von Mueller's handwriting, "Stringy- 

 bark, E. piperita, Twofold Bay." Tbe fruits figured in the " Eucalypto- 

 graphia " are not very dissimilar to tbem. Tbey have short pedicels and are 

 frequently sessile. The Port Jackson-Twofold Bay specimens may for 

 convenience be referred to as A. Tbe texture of the leaves of A and the 

 prominence of the veins are perhaps intermediate between typical E. 

 piperita and E. eugenioides, as is also the amount of essential oil so 

 characteristic of E. piperita. The fruits of E. piperita have a very thin 

 rim ; in A it is a little broader, in typical E. eugenioides it is well defined. 

 The size of the orifice of A is intermediate between the two species named. 

 The shape of the fruits of A is less ovoid than those of E. piperita, and 

 less hemispherical than those of typical E. eugenioides. At the same time 

 it is referable to E. eugenioides without doubt. 



(b) In 1879 Mr. A. W. Howitt sent to Baron von Mueller from Walhalla, 



Gippsland, specimens with the following note : " Tree locally known as 

 Stringybark ; the specimen is taken from a tree split for palings, and I am 

 informed that the wood is sound and durable, and both saws and splits 

 well." Tbe Baron labelled these specimens " E. eugenioides, Sieb.," and 

 also " E. piperita, Sm., var. eugenioides." Some identical specimens sent 

 by Mr. Howitt from the Tambo River were labelled by the Baron " E. 

 eugenioides, Sieb.," and he adds, " To this the specific name E. pilularis 

 would well apply." This is certainly E. eugenioides. 



(c) Following is Mr. Howitt's note on other specimens : — " A Stringybark 



growing on the clayey flats ( Post- Pliocene ?) at Toongabbie, near the foot 

 of the hills. Grows to a moderately large tree — say, 100 feet. Native 

 name Yangoura." The late Baron von Mueller labelled this specimen 

 " E. piperita." It undoubtedly bears the closest resemblance to the Port 

 Jackson and Twofold Bay specimens just referred to. Some of the fruits 

 are a little more ovoid than those of the Port Jackson and Twofold Bay 

 specimens, but that appears to be because they are riper ; specimens less 

 mature from the three localities cannot be separated. This is E. eugenioides. 



At Wingello, N.S.W., there is an interesting tree known as "Messmate," 

 one of two or three local trees which display variation. This particular "Messmate" 

 has fruits with rather thicker rim than normal piperita, and some fruits even 

 display a rim like eugenioides. It would be difficult, from fruits and leaves alone, 



