4,17 



CLXX. E. Dundasi Maiden. 



In Grit, Rev., Part XXXIII, p. 82, and Plate 139. 



Messrs. Kessell and Gardner publish a photograph of the tree, and the following 

 amplified account of this little known species at pp. 42, 43 of their " Key to the 

 Eucalypts of Western Australia " (Forests Department, Western Australia, Bulletin 

 Xo. 34, 1924). 



E. Dundasi Maiden— " Dvmdas Blackbutt " (2532, 4121), (2,532, 4131). 



An erect tree of 30 to 60 feet, with erect or scarcely spreading branches, and the 

 usual obconical, or umbrella-like appearance of the common Goldficlds trees. Trunk 

 to 20 or 25 feet, and up to 30 inches diameter. Bark of the base of the trunk forming 

 a dark-coloured butt, of 6 to 11 feet in height, rarely extending to the branches, and 

 often ending abruptly, with a sharp distinction between the upper and lower barks. 

 Butt bark thick, black, tessellated, or shortly, narrowly, and deeply fissured, brown in 

 outer section, yellowish-white in inner section. Upper bark thin, rich reddish-brown, 

 with grey crisped flakes of shedding bark, white in fracture. Timber dark brown, 

 exceedingly hard and dense, with a white sapwood of about 1 inch thick in mature 

 trees. Leaves small and bright dark shining green ; flowers white, about \ inch 

 diameter. 



Economic uses. — An uncommon tree, except in its restricted habitat. Has been 

 used to some extent in the past for mining timber in the Norseman district. All the 

 trees examined were sound and free from termites. 



Habitat. — From about 4 miles south of Lake View (Gilmore's), northwards to 

 near Higginsville, in red, gravelly loam, forming pure stands in the alluvial soil around 

 Lake View and Dundas. but more scattered to the north of Norseman, where it is rare. 

 It flowers in April. 



Botanical characteristics.— Juvenile leaves at present unknown. Mature 

 leaves alternate, on slightly angular or terete branchlets, narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 with a hooked apex, on petioles of \ to § inch, the whole leaf 2| to 3i inches long, and 

 under \ inch wide, bright shining green on both sides, rather leathery and thick, with a 

 prominent midrib and slightly thickened margins, and inconspicuous roughly parallel 

 veins, the intramarginal one close to the edge. Flowers in axillary, or rarely lateral 

 umbels, on a slender slightly flattened peduncle, thickened at the top, and supporting 

 four to six flowers on short pedicels. Calyx-tube dark shining green (drying almost 

 black), slightly over \ inch long, cylinclrical-urceolate or constricted about the middle, 

 striate or obscurely ribbed, dilated at the orifice. Operculum hemispherical with a 



