79 



When in Western Australia, I gave the matter some attention, and the following 

 notes were written down by me in front of the trees at Dongarra. 



" The Irwin River, for a considerable distance from the bridge, is lined almost 

 exclusively with a scrambling drooping White Gum, which grows in the bed of the river, 

 and on its banks. 



" It certainly is the counterpart of E. rostrata and very difficult to distinguish 

 from it, except on careful examination. Its leaves (sucker and mature) are different. 

 Its habit is more scrambling and sappy. Timber pale, and reputed to be worthless, 

 while that of E. rostrata is red and usually durable." 



Its sucker leaves are larger and broader than those of E. rostrata, and the foliage 

 generally is richer in oil, and less dry in texture. 



Although the buds are small, as small as those of E. rostrata, there is what 

 Mueller calls the " commissural line," which is not seen in E. rostrata, but the contour 

 of these small buds very strongly resembles those of the ovoid buds, sometimes with a 

 slight tendency to a point, which are very common in E. rostrata. Bearing these notes 

 in mind, and with the aid of the figures, there should not be any serious difficulty in 

 dealing with " intermediate " forms. 



Mr. Max Koch contrasts the two species as follows : — 



(1 ) '* Buds, flowers and fruits, are much larger in E. rudis than in E. rostrata." 



(2) " E. rudis never attains any size; the largest tree I noticed was not more 

 than 18 inches in diameter." 



(3) " The outer bark is not deciduous like in E. rostrata." 



(4) " The wood of E. rudis is of yellowish colour, that of E. rostrata is red. The 

 wood of E. rudis is brittle and useless except for firewood. The timber of E. rostrata 

 is hard and tough, and much in demand for sleepers in S.A., and generally considered 

 very useful for many purposes." 



(5) " The bark of E. rudis is of a darkish grey, while that of E. rostrata is of a 

 fight grey colour, and is almost white after the old outer bark peeled off." 



(6) " The life of E. rudis is short. As soon as the tree attains any dimension, decay 

 sets in." 



E. brachypoda Turcz. is a party to the rudis- rostrata confusion. The original 

 description is not easily accessible, and is given herewith. 



Eucalyptus brachypoda. Caule ramoso glabro, ramis teretibus glaucescentibus ; foliis alternis 

 petiolatis, oblongo-lanceolatis, margiriatis infeqrulateiis, longe acuminatis, basi attenuates, opacis, glaucis; 

 umbellis axillaribus 2-4 floris, pedunculis eompressiusculis petiolo plus quani duplo brevioribus; pedicellis 

 inciassatis cupulse longitudine ; operculo ruguloso conico acutiusculo cupulse carnpanulatae tequilato et 

 fere duplo longi ore ; staminibus cupulam bis excedentibus ; capsulae vertiee exserto conico. Species cum 

 descriptione E. Gurmii, Hook. fil. in multis quadrat, sed peduneuli folio plus quana duplo, nee paulo 

 longiores. Operculum e cl. auctore non descriptum, in planta nostra exacte conioum a basi latiore ad 

 apicem sequaliter attenuatum. Drum. 4, n. 73 (Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. xxii, 1849, pt. 2, p. 21). 



