118 



DESCRIPTION. 



LXIII. E. Rudderi, Maiden. 



In Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., xxix, 779 (1904). 



" A Red Box, 120 feet high, 2-3 feet in diameter" (A. Rudder, formerly Forester, July, 1885). 

 Mr. District Forester Hardiman also calls it " Red Box." It may perhaps be known as the " North Coast 

 Red Box " by way of distinction. 



Juvenile leaves not seen in the youngest stage, but seen when still opposite. Medium lanceolate 

 and acuminate, 4-5 inches long and li broad, with petiole of | inch. The midrib often pink. Intra- 

 marginal vein at some distance from the edge, the lateral veins roughly parallel and forming part of a 

 delicate anastomosing arrangement. Texture thin ; margin undulate. I have seen no sign of glaucousness 

 so far. Twigs angular. 



Mature leaves. — These do not appear to differ in any important character from the juvenile ones 

 save in losing their opposite character. 



Buds. — Arrangement paniculate, the umbels usually 3 to 6 in number, the peduncles rather long, 

 the pedicels short and the calyx-tube tapering gradually into the pedicel ; the operculum conoid. When 

 fresh the buds clavate ; the operculum dries to a point. 



Flowers small ; anthers small, opening in terminal pores, like E. polyanthemos and E. melliodora. 



Fruits small, conoid to subcylindrical, rim thin, and the indentations and fissures (common in 

 E. polyanthemos) absent or rare. Valves sessile and 5 in number in the specimens seen. 



JSark. — " Persistent and like that on the trunk of Grey Box, E. hemiphloia" (A. Rudder). The 

 rough bark resembles that of "Brush Box (Tristania conferta), but is slightly darker in colour, and extends 

 up to the small branches, further than that of White Box (E. hemiphloia)" (J. Hardiman). 



Timber. — Wood dark red. Timber of a red colour (A. Rudder). Sapwood white, rest of wood 

 red. I cannot perceive any difference between its wood and that of E. polyanthemos. 



I have a puzzling specimen from It. H. Cambage (No. 1,508, Moor's Gully, 

 Pokolbin). It is a large Box tree of 100 feet. The specimens available are juvenile 

 and mature leaves, a few fruits, also a piece of bark and timber. The timber, 

 however, is decidedly brown and not red, and here is the difficulty. Perhaps the 

 timber has a greater range of colour than has been hitherto suspected. 



RANGE. 



Confined to New South Wales so far as we know at present. Following are 

 localities belonging to the Manning and Upper Hunter Rivers : — Cundletown, near 

 Taree (A. Rudder). This tree is by no means plentiful, but occurs in all the forests 

 adjacent to the coast, especially in the Counties of Gloucester and Macquarie. The 

 best I have seen are in the Parish of Bohnock, a few miles from Taree. It appears 

 to favour stony ridges (J. Hardiman) ; near Cooloongoolook (A. Rudder) ; Baerami, 

 Upper Hunter (H. Deane). 



