158 



This species had already been referred to twice in the Journ. Roy. Soc. N.S.W-, 

 viz., xlix, 326-7, in which I looked upon it as an aberrant form of E. calycogona var. 

 gracilis. The second occasion is in xlix, 422, by Mr. R. H. Cambage, who collected 

 the material both he and I provisionally described. He points out that it is probably 

 referred to by Leichhardt, " Overland Expedition to Port Essington," p. 337, in words 

 he quotes. It seemed to us that it is worthy of specific description. The first passage 

 referred to is as follows : — 



" I now desire to invite attention to a form first received from Mr. Ivie Murchie 

 from Normanton, Queensland, not far from the Gulf of Carpentaria, in November, 

 1911, under the name of ' Box Wood.' 



Enquiries failed to elicit any further particulars until Mr. R. H. Cambage 

 collected it at the same place in August, 1913. He obtained a full suite of specimens, 

 and furnished the following particulars: — ' No. 3,930. Small Box-trees of 10 to 30 feet, 

 sometimes suggestive of Mallee. Leaves bright green, somewhat shiny, give no odour 

 of oil when crushed. Box-bark on trunk and large branches. Upper branches some- 

 times smooth and greenish. 



Formation pebbly (ironstone) and sandy; cretaceous ( ?). 



Also occurs on Normanton-Cloncurry road between Normanton and Flinders 

 River.'. 



So far as I am aware, var. gracilis has not been recorded previously from nearer 

 than 1,500 miles, and it is not surprising that the Normanton specimens differ a 

 little from the type. I fail to get hold of any characters of sufficient importance to 

 separate it from var. gracilis, and therefore note E. calycogona var. gracilis as an addition 

 to the Queensland flora. 



Compared with typical var. gracilis, the leaves are of a different texture, and 

 there is a sticky exudation in patches, the results of insect punctures. 



Mr. Cambage' s note of absence of oil does not mean that there is no oil at all, 

 for the oil dots can be seen and are not scarce, but in comparison with other forms there 

 is an absence of oil. At the same time the leaves from southern specimens of var. 

 gracilis vary a good deal in oil content. The most important character is that the 

 inflorescence is terminal in the Normanton specimens (chiefly those of Mr. Murchie), 

 whereas it seems to be usually axillary in all our other specimens.'' 



