147 



AFFINITIES. 



1. With E. oleosa, P.v.M. 



Affinity undoubtedly exists, although typical forms seem different enough. 

 Mueller named a narrow-leaved form of uncinate/,, oleosa var. leptophylla, and he 

 confused the species on other occasions, pardonably enough — indeed his original 

 description of E. oleosa had to be amended to exclude some E. uncinata. The buds 

 of the two species are often a good deal alike. 



The valves of E. uncinata are so exserted, fairly frequently, as to strongly 

 resemble a small-fruited form of E. oleosa. E. oleosa has a fruit which tends to 

 be urceolate ; this I have not noticed in E. uncinata. The juvenile leaves of the 

 former species are larger and broader. The timber of E. uncinata is brown, less 

 rarely of a reddish cast ; the timber of E. oleosa is redder, often very red. The 

 twigs and branches of E. uncinata are often markedly red, and hence it is sometimes 

 called " Red Mallee " for that reason, and not because of the colour of the timber. 



Diels and Pritzel, in "Engler's Jahrb.," xxxv, 438 (1005), remark : " Pormre 

 quaedam ad E. oleosam transitum efficiunt, an hybrids (?)." 



2. With E. decurva, F.v.M. 



This affinity is mentioned by Mueller ("Eucalyptographia," under E. uncinata), 

 bacause of the kink in the filament in E. uncinata (also occurring in E.falcata, and 

 not in E. decurva, as stated by Bent ham). The shrubs are, however, as unlike as 

 they can well be ; and inasmuch as there has been a good deal of confusion as to 

 what E. decurva is, I defer my remarks until Part XVI of this work is reached, 

 when it will be found I have figured E. decurva on Plate 70. 



3. With E. mieranthera, P.v.M. 



As suggested by Bentham in B.F1. iii, 21S, who says, " possibly a form of 

 E. uncinata." Under E. uncinata (" Eucalyptogriiphia ") Mueller refers to the 

 affinities of E. uncinata and E. mieranthera. 



In Proc. Aust. Ado. Science, vii, 533 (1898), Luehmann goes further, and says 

 that E. mieranthera is a variety of E. uncinata. 



I dissent from this view. E. mieranthera is an imperfectly known species, 

 but I have a figure of the unique specimen in the Melbourne Herbarium, and will 

 discuss E. mieranthera in relation to E. uncinata when I am in a position to reproduce 

 my drawing in this work. 



9664— C 



