14 



DESCRIPTION. 



CLIX. E. Bancrofti Maiden. 



In Maiden's Forest Flora of New South Wales. Part XI (Vol. ii) p. 9 (September, 1904), 



excluding the Burpengary references. 



A tree of medium size, with sparse foliage ; usually crooked and gnarled, bark smooth, falling away 

 in irregular patches; timber dark reddish brown. Very similar in appearance to Angofhora lanceolata. 



Juvenile leaves. — Dull on both sides, very broadly lanceolate to nearly ovate, but not seen in 

 the earliest state. 



Mature leaves.- — Dull on both sides, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, very acuminate, falcate, 

 sometimes oblique, with a long, somewhat twisted petiole. The veins numerous, oblique, roughly parallel, 

 not prominent, the intramarginal vein at no great distance from the edge. 



Buds.— The calyx-tube with usually two angles, and rather abruptly terminating in a rather broad, 

 angled pedicel. The operculum nearly cylindrical, rounded or blunt at the top, and nearly twice as long 

 as the calyx-tube. The operculum enveloped in an outer operculum, early deciduous, which leaves a 

 well-marked rim at its junction with the calyx-tube, giving the bud an appearance to which the homely 

 term " egg-in-egg-cup " has been applied. 



Flowers. — Up to seven in an umbel, which is supported on a thickish, flattish petiole of 2 cm. 

 Filaments versatile on a parallel-celled anther; a rather large gland at the back near the top. 



Fruits. — Nearly spherical in general outline, up to 1 cm. in diameter, domed, with a broad 

 band, tips of the valves well exsert, pedicels short and thick. 



Type from Honeysuckle Flat, about 9 miles south of Port Macquarie, N.S.W., 

 on serpentine country bearing stunted vegetation (J. H. Maiden, July, 1895). (J. L. 

 Boorman, November. 1915, co-type). Locally known as " Orange Gum." 



In honour of Dr. Thomas Lane Bancroft, who has supplied me with 

 complete suites of specimens and valuable information concerning several Queensland 

 Eucalypts. 



As maturity approaches, the trunk is often hollow, with large cavities more or 

 less filled with a thin brownish astringent liquid which, at certain seasons, requires care 

 on the part of the feller as it sometimes squirts out with great force. 



The outstanding character of this species is the blunt operculum. In the table- 

 land specimens, all have blunt opercula, with the exception that at Stanthorpe (Q.) 

 and at Emmaville and Tingha, there is some elongation and pointing of that organ, 

 but these are obviously only aberrant forms. 



Coming to the coast, the Camden Haven specimens have long opercula, but 

 these, again, are obviously aberrant. 



