33 



DESCRIPTION. 



CCXXIX. E. peltata Bentham. 



In B.F1. iii, 254 (1866). 

 Following is the original description : — 



A tree with a dark, shining, brittle, flaky, but persistent bark (F. Mueller). 



Leaves from nearly orbicular to oblong-ovate, obtuse, rather large, peltately inserted on the petiole 

 above their base, rusty-scabrous or glabrous or somewhat glaucous, with diverging but not close veins. 



Flowers rather large, nearly sessile in the umbels, which are arranged in oblong (or corymbose) 

 terminal panicles, but not seen expanded. 



Calyx-tube obconical in the bud, about 3 lines long, smooth and shining. 



Operculum much shorter, obtusely conical or hemispherical. 



Anthers ovate-oblong, with parallel cells. 



Fruit urceolate-globose, about 4 lines diameter, contracted above the deeply-sunk capsule, the rim 

 thin, seeds (which I have not seen) smooth and not winged according to F. Mueller. 



It was figured and further described by Mueller in the " Eucalyptographia." 



A small or middle sized tree, with a straight trunk seldom above 15 feet long or more than 18 inches 

 in diameter, with a spreading rather dense top (Johnson) ; foliage drooping, the greatest height of the 

 whole tree about 30 feet (Tenison- Woods). Bark everywhere (all over the tree) persistent, lamellar, very 

 brittle, somewhat shining and brownish or pale-yellowish, the colour of the bark having originated the 

 curious vernacular of Yellow-jacket for this tree. (" Eucalyptographia.") 



In 1908, when I received a full suite of specimens from the Emerald District, 

 misled by Bentham's description of the peltate juvenile leaves as mature ones, I thought 

 it might be new, and carefully described it, but did not publish it. 



Following is the description of the juvenile leaves, made at the time : — 

 Broadly lanceolate to orbicular, peltate (up to 10-15 cm. long and 3-5-4 cm. 

 broad being common dimensions), symmetrical, the slightly flattened glaucous branch- 

 lets and the midribs sparsely besprinkled with weak brown hairs, the tips of the branchlets 

 densely hairy. Equally green on both sides, or but slightly paler on the under side, thin, 

 petiolate, midrib distinct and slightly channelled, lateral veins irregularly curved, rather 

 distant from each other, passing through a more parallel stage until they become feather- 

 veined in the adult stage; the intraniarginal vein at a considerable distance from the 

 edge. Mature leaves of the ordinary lanceolate shape. 



I have since found that the peltate condition of leaves in Eucalyptus is more 

 common than was at one time supposed, but a full discussion of this character may well 

 be deferred until the Morphology portion of this work is reached. 



