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DESCRIPTION 

 CCCLXVIII. E. Badjensis, de Beuzeville and Welch. 



In Journ. Roy. Soc, N.S.W., lviii, 177, with Plates VIII, IX (1924). 



Without a Latin description, as decreed by the International Congress of Botanists 

 (Vienna Meeting, 1905), and binding on all loyal botanists. I have always endeavoured 

 to obey the decisions, and because we are so far from Europe and some of us are ignorant 

 of them, I have done my best to make them known. As I am but an indifferent 

 Latinist, I sympathise with those who may shirk the rule referring to Latin descriptions, 

 and I would welcome the arrival of Latin students who are also familiar with botanical 

 terminology, and who would relieve the botanist of his Latin descriptions on payment 

 of a reasonable fee per species. Perhaps a guinea a species, for those of average 

 length, might be considered fair. 



A large forest tree, locally known as " Gully Ash,'' attaining a height of 100 feet or more. Bark 

 persistent about half-way up the trunk, smooth above. Abnormal leaves opposite, lanceolate, at first 

 sessile, cordate, later shortly petiolate, up to 6 inches long and 1 inch wide. Normal leaves narrow- 

 lanceolate, 4-8 inches long, 5-9 lines wide, tapering to a point, not shining, of equal colour on either side ; 

 lateral veins not usually prominent, inclined at an angle of 30-45 deg. to the midrib, intramarginal vein 

 somewhat looped and removed from the edge. Peduncles axillary, 1-2 lines long, flowers sessile, in threes. 

 Calyx tube under 2 lines long, \\ lines wide ; operculum conical, acute or slightly acuminate, about 1 line 

 in length. Fruit conical or slightly conico-turbinate, rim rounded ; valves strongly exserted ; under 3 

 lines long and 2 lines in diameter. 



Range. — Type specimen is from the eastern fall of the Main Dividing Kange, at an elevation of about 

 4,000 feet, 3 miles south of the Big Badja Mountain, north-easterly from Cooma (N.S.W.) It has been 

 observed also from Mount Darragh, near Cathcart in the south, as far north as the Tallaganda State Forest, 

 at high elevations. 



Affinity. — This species is closest in external morphology to E. vimindlis, which occurs in the same 

 district. The fruits are, however, consistently smaller and not pedicellate, as usually obtains in that 

 species, nor are they hemispherical. The operculum is short and broad, conical, acute or slightly acuminate, 

 not obtuse, egg-shaped, as in E. viminalis. Other differences will be noted under field and anatomical 

 characters. 



Field Characters. — It differs from E. viminalis in several very important field characters, and cannot 

 readily be confused with that species, with which it is often in association. E. viminalis, whether smooth- 

 barked from the ground up, or rough-barked at the butt, is white above, whereas the rough bark of the 

 proposed species more closely resembles that of E. goniocalyx; the upper smooth portion is greenish in 

 colour, approaching that of E. stellulata. Moreover, E. viminalis in the same locality possesses a typical 

 "candle bark," the decorticated portion hanging in long ribbons, which does not occur, as far as our 

 observation has gone, in this species. The bark possesses a very marked " piney " odour when cut, due 

 to the very large development of oil glands. 



The leaves are always narrow (Mallee-like), enabling this species to be picked out readily from 

 E. viminalis, which, growing in association, possesses broader leaves which are a much brighter green in 

 colour. This character alone is sufficient to separate the trees when seen together in the field. These 

 bark and leaf characters are constant throughout the entire range. Another interesting point is that, to 

 our knowledge, manna has never been found beneath this tree in marked contrast to E. viminalis, the 

 Manna Gum of the Monaro. 



