508 



DESCRIPTION. 



CCCXLIX. E. mierantha DC. 



In Prod. Ill, 217 (1828), and Mem. Myrt., t, 5. 



The original Latin description will be found at Part X, p. 319, of the present work, 



and the following translation is offered : — 



Operculum conical, the length of the calyx-tube, peduncles angular, the length of the petiole, 

 axillary and subtcrminal, umbels 15-20 flowered, leaves oblong, coriaceous, narrowed at the base, long 

 acuminate, secondary veins coming together at the margin. In New Holland, Sieb., plant ex. n. 497- 

 Leaves bright on both sides, petiole about i inch long, leaf blade 6-7 inches long, an inch broad, veins 

 penniform. Buds ovoid, the smallest of the genus. 



A full description will be found at p. 318. See also my " Forest Flora of New 

 South Wales," vol. IV, p. 105. It seems to be adequately figured in Plate 46, figs. 10, 

 11, 14, 15, 10, 17, and Plate 47, figs. 1-10, Part X of the present work. 



It is a medium-sized tree with spreading branches and somewhat drooping 

 branchlets, which often give it a willowy appearance. In favourable situations it 

 exceeds 50 feet in height, but in many parts of the Hornsby district (where it is common, 

 and where Mr. Blakely has especially studied it) 20-40 feet is a fair average. Several 

 trees at Meadowbank, near Ryde, Port Jackson, are fully 60 feet high, with clean 

 straight boles. In the Liverpool district some very fine specimens were observed by 

 Messrs. Blakely and Shiress. 



The juvenile leaves are pale green or slightly glaucous on both surfaces, only two or three pairs of 

 the lower leaves remaining opposite, the lowest nearly sessile, narrow oblong, 10-30 mm. long, 5-8 mm. 

 broad; intermediate leaves passing gradually into the adult, varying from narrow oblong to narrow 

 lanceolate, shortly petiolate, penninerved, the intramarginal vein somewhat removed from the edge, 4-7 cm. 

 long, 6-15 mm. broad. The descrirjtion of leaves was drawn up by Mr. Blakely from average specimens 

 in the field at Marrangaroo, with Dr. C. E. Chisholm, about 5 miles west of Lithgow, N.S.W. 



Mr. Blakely pleads for it as a suitable subject for park planting in poor soils 

 in the following words : — 



" Large trees are very picturesque. The large blue and white patchy boles and spreading branches 

 of similar shades, together with the drooping branchlets, often tinged with red, and the narrow semi- 

 glaucous leaves make a very pleasing effect, especially in association with its sombre looking congeners, 

 E. euqenioides and E. piperita. 



