50 



DESCRIPTION. 



CXXVI. E. botryoides Smith. 



In Trans. Linn. Soc. iii, 286 (1797). 

 Following is the original :— 



Opnrculo hemisphaerico submutico, capitulls lateralibus solitariis, pedunculis cuneatis compressis, 

 fructu turbinate 



This, like the two preceding (capitellala and saligna), bears its flowers in solitary capitula, but is 

 distinguished from them by its broad hemispherical opsrcula, with scarcely any point at its summit, which, 

 from the clustering together of the flowers, look like bunches of some kind of berries. The common flower- 

 stalks are flat and very broad, especially at the top. The leaves lanceolate, oblique. 



It is a beautifully umbrageous tree, the juvenile foliage being thin, and with 

 pale undersides. 



It varies as to the extent of persistency of the rough bark, the amount of 

 fibre of the same, and whether it extends to the ultimate branchlets or not. 



The buds of the type had " broad hemispherical opercula, with scarcely any 

 point at its summit." (See fig. 4ia, Plate 99.) Some buds from Kurnell have pointed 

 opercula {e.g., fig. ha and 10). Specimens from Green Point near Gosford (A. 

 Murphy), stated by him to have " rough bark to the limbs but not Bangalay," have 

 buds with very pointed opercula, and in my view can only be referred to 

 E. botryoides, so that we have a remarkable amount of variation in the bud. 



Looking down on the top of a ripe fruit the tops of the valves take on the 

 appearance of a Maltese Cross. The same appearance is seen in E. saligna, though 

 it is not as obvious as in typical E. botryoides. 



SYNONYM. 



E. platypodos Cav. Icones iv, 23, t. 341 (1798 ?). 



Eucalyptus platypodos. Tab. 341. 



373. Eucalyptus foliis alternis lanceolato-acutis subfalcatis : umbellis florum solitariis, pedunculo 

 conimuni piano. 



An Metrosideros salicifolia Gaerlnevi vol. 1, tab. 34, fig 3a? 



Caulis aborescens ramis alternis. 



Folia, ut in praecedenti, attamen longiora et duriora. 



Flores umbellati, umbellis solitariis axillaribus, quorum pedunculus communis brcvis compressus, 

 flores sustinens 3-6 scssiles. 



Calix, calyptra et genitalia ut in praecedenti, at diaphragma inf undibuliforme. 



Capsula corticata calice, tunc fere cylindrico, quadrilocularis, quadrivalvis, loculis polyspermia. 

 Semina parva angulata ferruginea. 



Habitat floretque cum praecedente. Ex eodem herbario. 



