DESCRIPTION. 



IX. E. affinis, Deane and Maiden. 



Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxv, 104 (1900), with a plate. 



A tree of moderate size, attaining a height of 80 feet, and a diameter of 2 feet 6 inches. 



Yernaeular names. — " Tallow Wood " at Murrumbidgerie, owing to the greasy nature of its wood, 

 and " Black Box " at Stuart Town ; " White Ironbark " and " Ironbark Box " at Grenfell and above Mt. 

 McDonald, at the junction of the Abercrombie and Lachlan Rivers, according to Mr. Cambage ; " Bastard 

 Ironbark " at Minore (J. L. Boorman). 



Bark. — To quote from a letter by Mr. R. H. Cambage : — " In appearance it looks half Ironbark 

 and half Box, and has strong affinities to both. Often the butt in old trees is nearly as rough as that of 

 E. sideroxylon, but seldom quite, while the upper part resembles E. albens (E. hemiphloia, var. albens) ; 

 but in general it has a dark brown, fairly rough bark an inch thick, and is easily distinguished from the 

 other trees. The bark is thinner and softer than E. sideroxylon, but harder and thicker than E. albens." 



Timber. — Of a medium brown colour, inlocked, hard and tough, greasy to the touch, better 

 esteemed locally than the wood of either E. hemiphloia or E. sideroxylon, among which it grows. 



Juvenile leaves. — Alternate, ovate, obtuse, slightly emarginate and mucronate (in our specimens) ; 

 about 3 inches long by 1 j broad ; intramarginal vein at a considerable distance from the edge. 



Mature leaves. — Lanceolate, slightly falcate ; pale coloured, dull on both sides, rather coriaceous, 

 usually 2 to 3 inches long ; veins at an angle of about 30° with the midrib, but inconspicuous except the 

 midrib and the thickened margin ; intramarginal vein inconspicuous and at some distance from the edge. 



Peduncles axillary, flattened at first but nearly terete when the fruit is ripe ; with 3 to 7 flowers. 



Buds. — Shaped like a tip-cat, to use a homely expression, i.e., tapered equally towards base and 

 operculum ; somewhat angular, the operculum attenuate. Calyx-tube likewise attenuate, tapering into a 

 short pedicel. Anthers in the bud all folded ; stamens white, the outer ones seemingly all fertile ; anthers 

 opening in terminal pores. Style and stigma as figured at fig. 6, E. hemiphloia, in the Eucalyptographia. 



Fruits. — Ovate-truncate, tapered at the base, somewhat contracted at the orifice, about 3 lines in 

 diameter, the rim narrow, slightly convex and dark-coloured ; the capsule depressed (loc. cit.). 



RANGE. 



Between Wellington and Dubbo, towards Molong and Parkes, Grenfell, and other 

 parts of the "Western districts. It also occurs near Inverell, and it should be 

 especially looked for in New England, and in the Stanthorpe district of Queensland. 

 So far it has only been recorded from New South Wales. 



"TaUow tree," Murrumbidgerie, Great Western Railway. (Andrew Murphy). 

 Type of the species. 



" Bastard Ironbark." " Pretty fairly distributed amongst E. hemiphloia 

 and E. sideroxylon, to which it appears to bear an affinity. Bough, scaly, hard bark, 

 not corrugated, dark hrown. Sapwood yellow, centre red. Bark ribbony two-thirds 

 from the base. Tips of branches of a claret colour. Leaves ' atropurpureus.' The 

 whole tree has a graceful pendulous habit." Stuart Town (J. L. Boorman, 1900). 



