514 R. T. BAKER AND H. G. SMITH. 



EUCALYPTUS AUSTRALIANA, Sp. Nov. (" Narrow- 

 leaved Peppermint") and its ESSENTIAL OIL. 



By R. T. Baker f.l.s. and H. G. Smith, f.c.s. 



[Read before the Royal Society of N. 8. Wales. December 1. 1915.'] 



Introduction. 



When studying the Eucalypts of Tasmania for our paper 

 on those of that Island, 1 Labillardiere's species of E. amyg- 

 dalina necessarily received much attention, as it was from 

 that Island he obtained his material, which, of course, 

 stands as the authenticated species. The name, however, 

 has long since been also given to a tree on the mainland, 

 and it was only when investigating the species for the 

 above research, that differences were detected in the two 

 trees, and these have since been followed up. In fact, the 

 differences were so marked that even then we raised the 

 continental form to varietal rank under the name of 

 Eucalyptus amygdalina var. australiana, being loath to 

 introduce another species name to the already long list of 

 Eucalypts. We were prepared to let it stand at that, but 

 the technology of this Eucalyptus has since come so much 

 to the front in the commercial world, that we think it best 

 in the interest of applied, as well as pure science, to give 

 it specific rank, for which we propose the name Eucalyptus 

 australiana for the mainland tree. 



A systematic description is added so that the species 

 upon which the research is made might be clearly under- 

 stood. It is figured in "Research on the Eucalypts and 

 Essential Oils," 1902, under " Messmate," Eucalyptus 

 amygdalina, p. 168. The broad-leaved form is restricted to 

 the Ovens district of Victoria. 



1 Proc. Roy. Soc, Tasmania, 1912, 



