NOTES ON EUCALYPTUS. 233 



(d) "A species in the making" — akin to E. melanophloia, 



F.v.M. 

 The making of species is going on all around us, but in 

 regard to large trees, which do not produce seed until after 

 the lapse of years, it is very rarely that we have the 

 opportunity of tracing the parents except by inference. 



I invite your attention to specimens of an Ironbark, 

 Warialda, N.S.W., W. A. de Benzeville, 28th May, 1913. 



Its foliage is pale coloured but not glaucous. Its juvenile 

 foliage is of a paler green, with short petioles, broadly 

 lanceolate, but very different to that of E. melanophloia. 



We have been of course aware for many years how vari- 

 able is the foliage of E. melanophloia, lanceolate leaved 

 forms being well known. Particulars may be found in my 

 "Critical Revision," Part xii, p. 71. But the present form 

 is different to any that I have previously seen. 



Although E. melanophloia is abundant in the district, 

 Mr. de Benzeville reports that this form does not appear 

 to grow in association with that species, but appears to be 

 always associated with E. crebra. He also states that the 

 timber is extremely brittle, and the bark is not furrowed 

 as deeply as is usual with Ironbarks. The specimen for- 

 warded to me shows a crebra looking bark and timber 

 apparently not abnormal, but Mr. de Benzeville doubtless 

 speaks of its local reputation. This form, as far as general 

 morphological characters go, is intermediate between E. 

 melanophloia and E. crebra, and it may have arisen from 

 cross-polliniation, but that is surmise. 



Owing to changes of environment, it is very often the 

 case that we have "breaks," and in the present case, we 

 may have a break from E. melanophloia in the direction 

 of narrower, more petiolate leaves, with other minor 

 differences. 



