PREFATORY AND OTHER NOTES. 7 



1S39. These dwarf peach-trees are very common, and vary much 

 in colour of flower as well as flavour of fruit. In the above idea 

 I do not ask others to agree with me : this is only thrown out as 

 an idea of my own. 



Two other remarkable sports from the seed may be mentioned 

 — the one Robinia pseudoacacia var. tortuosa, and our own Barklya 

 syringifolia var. tortuosa. 



While. on this subject mention might be made of one genus 

 (Eucalyptus) of our forest-trees in which I believe the numerous 

 kinds have all originated from sports, even those which we now 

 call species having originated in this manner at a much earlier 

 period. For instance, one need only refer to one species, the so- 

 called " Blue Gum," from the supposed blue colour of the bark, 

 or " Red Gum " when referring to the timber. This tree varies 

 so much in its flowers that the species cannot be safely determined 

 by flowers alone; the bark, wood, and foliage are all similar, and 

 all these forms, where the flowers seem so different, run so closely 

 the one into the other that we can only consider them as belonging 

 to one species, with very variously shaped flower-buds. The 

 immortal Bentham in the " Flora Australiensis " gives three 

 varieties, but, doubtless, these owe their differences to soil or 

 climate more than anything else. Thus I always think it unsafe, 

 in this species especially, to name any supposed forms or varieties. 



The feature of the vernacular names following the systematic 

 is one which will be likely to give satisfaction to a large number 

 of the public, but the utility of these names is not of the advantage 

 which one might suppose, for in many cases they are only local, 

 and often a plant will be found to be known in the same district 

 by more than one name. Take for example our " Blue Gum," so 

 called from the colouring of the bark, while persons using the 

 timber designate it " Red Gum," both of these names being used in 

 other Australian States for entirely different trees. This is the 

 case with a large number of our plants, especially if they enjoy a 

 wide range. In the case of aboriginal names the district where 

 each name is used has been added. In many country districts 

 these aboriginal names will be found of great assistance to persons 



