68 



3. Var. borealis Baker and S:nith, " Research on the Eucalypts," p. 75. 



The authors say that no differences could be detected between this form and 

 normal rostrata, " but they differ, however, in chemical constituents." This, of course, 

 raises a question that I have often discussed, and if it should prove that the difference 

 in oil constituents cannot be explained other than by the ordinary variation we expect 

 to see in plants under different environments, the taxonomist must be excused if he 

 places two forms together which have no morphological differences. See fig. 3, Plate 137. 



RANGE. 



It was originally described from South Australia. Bentham expands the South 

 Australian localities to :— Banks of streams, "White Gum," Behr.; from the Murray 

 to St. Vincent's Gulf, " Red Gum," F. Mueller and others; Three Well River (Kangaroo 

 Island, J.H.M.) Waterhouse; W. of Lake Torrens, Babbage ; in Herb. R. Br. In Victoria 

 he gives from the Yarra to the Murray. F. Mueller, and under New South Wales, 

 Lachlan and Darling Rivers to the Barrier Range and Cooper's Creek, Victorian and 

 other Expeditions. (This really takes us to western Queensland and perhaps South 

 Australia. J.H.M. ); New England, C. Stuart. (It exceptionally occurs on New England 

 proper, which is too cold for its proper development. J.H.M.). 



Mueller's general statement of Australian distribution is as follows : — 



" Along river-bauks or in alluvial valleys throughout nearly the whole Australian continent, but 

 absent from some of the coast country, from the extreme of South West Australia and altogether from 

 Tasmania, nowhere ascending high mountain altitudes, nor occurring away from moist oases in any desert 

 regions, reaching the coast borders in Victoria, South Australia, and at least occasionally in South 

 Queensland, traced by me to littoral tracts on the lower Victoria River in Arnhem's Land, and in West 

 Australia, south to the Murchison River.'' (" Eucalyptographia.") 



E. rostrata is the tree which is most commonly known as " Red Gum " in 

 Australia, although other species (particularly E. tereticomis) also pass under that 

 designation" in certain areas. It also often goes under the name of "Flooded Gum." 

 It is one of the most widely diffused species, being found in every State of the Common- 

 wealth, Tasmania alone excepted. It prefers good soil and a moist bottom, hence it 

 frequents the banks of rivers and it is to be found in depressions and along dry water- 

 courses. It often grows in country which is submerged for a portion of the year, and 

 hence unsuited for agricultural purposes. The principal area of this kind is known 

 as the Murray Red Gum Forest Area, which yields a large annual revenue to the New 

 South Wales Government for royalties, and which forms one of our permanent natural 

 forests. 



