263 



Mullet Creek, between Bundaberg and Gladstone, North Coast Railway (Chief 

 Engineer for Railways, through C. T. White). 



The common Ironbark of the district, medium to large-sized trees. 30-60 feet 

 high, fairly plentiful. Mount Perry (J. L. Boorman). 



Parish Boondooma, Burnett district (S. J. Higgins, through C. T. White, 

 Xo. 11). " Narrowdeaf Ironbark/' " A form of E. crebra, with Weeping Willow 

 habit. A really pretty tree; I have often wondered if it is a hybrid." Eidsvold, 

 Upper Burnett River (Dr. T. L. Bancroft.) These specimens, varying somewhat in 

 width and texture of leaf, show how difficult it is to separate E. crebra and 

 E. drepanophyUa. Both of these localities are a little west of Maryborough, and form 

 our most southerly records at present. 



AFFINITIES. 



1. With E. crebra F.v.M. 



'' E. drepanophyUa differs from E. crebra chiefly in the large flowers and in the 

 larger, harder, and more globular fruit. ... It is not impossible, however, that 

 . . . E. drepanophyUa ... and crebra, all of them Ironbarks, may be but 

 forms of one species." (B.FL. iii. 221.) 



" E. drepanophyUa. which may be perhaps a mere variety of the imperfectly 

 known E. leptophleba, is still nearer to E. siderophloia than to E. crebra; (and then 

 follows differences from E. siderophloia) . (" Eucalyptographia," under E. siderophloia). 



" E. drepanophyUa, which was advanced with much hesitation as a species 

 (** Flora Australiensis," iii, 221), seems mainly to differ in more stunted habit, larger 

 and stiffer leaves of a paler hue, larger flowers and fruits and, perhaps, different bark. 

 This species or variety, for the elucidation of which further field studies are needed, 

 extends northward to the Palmer River (Th. Grulliver), Cape Sidmouth (C. Moore), 

 and Trinity Bay (Walter Hill), and, on the authority of Bentham, even to the north- 

 west coast of Australia (Cunningham)." (lb., under E. crebra). 



" E. drepanophyUa, which comes very near to E. leptophleba. and E. crebra, 

 belongs to the series of Ironbark trees (with, therefore, furrowed and dark-coloured 

 bark), has usually narrower leaves of less straightness and of lighter green, with very 

 subtle much diverging and also more copious veins, a shorter lid, anther-cells slit in their 

 whole length and proportionately shorter fruits. To E. drepanophyUa verges Bentham's 

 variety parcijlora (" Flora Australiensis," iii. 217) mentioned doubtfully under 

 E. hemiphloia ; it is according to Fitzalan's note an Ironbark Tree ; the anthers, however, 

 seen not to open with regular slits/'' (lb,, under E. hemiphloia). 



It seems to me that important differences between E. crebra and E. drepanophyUa 

 lie in the broader juvenile leaves of the latter and in the shape of the anthers. 



2. With E. leptophleba F.v.M. 

 This is dealt with under E. lepiopleia. see p. 267. 



