269 



AFFINITIES. 



1. With E. globulus, Labill. 



The following account of tlie confusion between these two species, and the 

 history of the elucidation of E. Maideni, is from the pen of Mr. William Baeuerlen, 

 the well-known botanical collector, and is taken from a letter addressed to me by 

 him on 21st Eebruary, 1891. 



Re Eucalyptus globulus occurring as stated by Mr. Duff in the County of St. Vincent (this 

 refers to'a statement in the press), I beg to state that the specie? docs not occur there. The tree called 

 " Blue Gum " in that district is E. Maideni, and the nearest locality to Moruya, wh> re it cccurs, so far as I 

 know, is the Bolaro Mountain. 



The history connected with the species is, as far as I can make out, about the following : — 



The tree is rather plentiful on the mountains about Araluen, and is commonly called " Blue Gum'' 

 there. Some years ago the Rev. Robert Collie visited the localiiy, saw the tree, and judging no doubt 

 superficially from the chalky leaves and angular twigs, took it to be E. globulus, and had it reported in 

 several publications that he found E. globulus as far north as Araluen. This report has been copied and 

 reiterated by almost everyone who had anything to write on Eucalypts. To my surprise, it is even in the 

 " Eucalyptographia," and I am sure the Baron must have accepted Mr. Cjllie's report merely on trust, 

 and cannot have seen, at the time, actual specimens of the trep. 



In December, 1884, I was in the same locality when I found the tree in flower, and also saw the 

 fruit. It struck me at once that it is not E. globulus, wherefore I sent a complete set of specimens to 

 Baron von Mueller, who at the time did not diagnose it further than to say that it might be a variety of 

 E. botryoides, and there the matter rested for some time. About two years afterwards I found the species 

 again at Colombo, locally known as " Blue Gum," " White Gum, ' or " Spotted Gum," from where I sent 

 fruiting specimens again to Baron von Mueller, who then said that he required flowering specimens for its 

 determination, in consequence of which I asked my frien.il, Mr. David Allan, of Cjlombo, to watch the 

 trees and collect flowering specimens. Unfortunately, the following season the trees hardly flowered at all 

 so that only a few flowers could be obtained. These, however, with more fruiting specimens, were 

 forwarded to Baron von Mueller. Meanwhile, undtr the impression that the tree is a hybrid, I paid 

 particular attention to it in order to trace out its parents, especially in the south on the Tantawanglo 

 Mountains, near Candelo. At that time also the Baron threw out the hint that the tree might be a 

 hybrid between E. globulus and E. goniocalyx, and stated expressly that if that would be the casp, both 

 parents should be found in those mountains. This at first appeared much like solving the problem most 

 satisfactorily, but pursuing the matter further I found that though E. goniocalyx is very plentiful, 

 E, globulus is not found in those mountains, and in some respects the species is widely different from 

 E. goniocalyx to allow that species to have had anything to do with the species in question. From former 

 correspondence you know how eventually the Baron found again the flowering specimens sent to him 

 years ago and how he determined it to a new species, and named it E. Maid'.ni. The chief point in 

 question, is, however, that it is not E. globulus, and it is worthy of remark that never in one instance 

 when the Baron received specimens from me did he say that the species is E. globulus, which makes me 

 believe that he received no specimens from Mr. Collie, but accepted the report merely on trust. 



If there is a species I have expressly looked for from the Shoalhaven to the boundary of Victoria, 

 and have not found, it is E. globulus. 



The two species are doubtless more closely allied than any other species. 



The young branchlets in both species are quadrangular and sometimes a little 

 winged, while the juvenile leaves are very glaucous, and reek with oil. The juvenile 

 leaves appear to be the same in both species, except that those of M Maideni appear 

 to be the smaller. 



Both are large trees, known as " Blue Gum." 

 D 



