306 



THE INTERMEDIATE LEAF. 



1. Preliminary. 

 All through this work I have differentiated between the youngest leaves and the 

 mature ones, by describing what I have (somewhat vaguely, as already admitted at 

 p. 203, Part LXV), called the Intermediate Leaf. I have made a greater point of 

 presenting the youngest (juvenile) leaf, and treatment of the intermediate one has 

 hitherto been more incidental and causal. I now desire to emphasise this Intermediate 

 Leaf, which has been ignored by most writers on the genus. 



2. The " Saplings " of Howitt. 

 Howitt was the first botanist to describe the " Sapling leaves." The following 

 extracts are taken from his papers on " The Eucalyptus of Gippsland " in Trans. Roy. 

 Soc, Vict., vol. ii, Part I, p. 93 (1891). I quote some of this descriptions including 

 such leaves, which, of course, refer to Gippsland plants. There are a few additional 

 references to " sapling " leaves, but as they are somewhat involved, owing to his own 

 uncertainty as to species, I have admitted them. 



By " saplings " in the phrase " seedlings and saplings," Howitt refers to the 

 (usually) coarse or large secondary leaves, intermediate between those of the seedlings 

 and those of the (usually) falcate-lanceolate leaves which are the sign of maturity. They 

 are common on the younger saplings, and I have elsewhere called them " intermediate 

 leaves." I am afraid that the word " saplings " in Howitt's phrase, is too vague for 

 a technical term. 



He probably followed Bentham in B.FL, iii, 185, who speaks of " leaves in the 

 young saplings," or (p. 187), " adventitious barren branches of older trees." 



The saplings of these Euealypts may also readily be distinguished from each other. Those of 

 E. -piperita (E. eugenioides is probably meant, J.H.M.) remain rough up to 10 feet in height, the leaves 

 then become unequal-sided, ovate-lanceolar, or ovate-pointed, having the upper surface slightly darker 

 green, and more shining than the lower . . . 



E. capitellata soon produces unequal-sided cordate leaves, fully twice the size of those of E. piperita, 

 and of a lighter shade of green ; moreover, they hang more vertically, and are consequently more equally 

 tinted on both sides. In size, and the inequality of the sides, they resemble the sapling-leaves of E. obliqua> 

 but are readily distinguished by not being attenuated, as those of E. obliqua are . . . 



The saplings of E. Muelleriana are distinguishable from all the others by having opposed leaves, 

 even up to two or three feet in height. The leaves are lanceolar and unequal-sided, but in a less degree 

 than others of the group. The upper page is very shining, and the lower much duller and paler in hue. 

 The apex is more or less acute, and the lateral veins are more numerous and less spreading than in E. capi- 

 tellata. Even in saplings from 8 ft. to 10 ft. high, the leaves have a general tendency to assume a horizontal 

 position, thus producing a peculiar shining appearance of their upper pages, which is characteristic of this 

 tree when young ... 



