EUCALYPTUS. 
By ABBOT KINNEY, Lananda Park, Cal. 
Among the foreign trees that may be grown in the warmest parts of 
the United States none are of higher economic value than several species 
of eucalyptus. The eucalyptus was introduced in California a number 
of years ago, and the most common form, Hucalyptus globulus, is now 
extensively grown in the southern part of that State. Comparatively 
few of the 150 species have been tested in the Gulf States, and it is 
yet an open question if any will be a complete success in the Gulf region, 
while in southern Florida several have become well acclimated. 
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 
The eucalyptus is a genus of woody plants varying in height from 
a few feet to over 400 feet, and affording great variety in foliage and 
flower., The genus is one of the largest among tree forms, and all the 
Species are natives of the Australian continent and adjacent islands. 
None have been found in New Zealand, on the one side, nor in Asia 
on the other. The foliage of all the species is persistent; 1. e., is ever- 
green, and of many shades, running through grays, blues, and greens. 
The foliage as a whole may be fairly described as generally gray or 
dull green, of similar color on both sides of the leat, hanging edgewise 
to the sky, and sickle-shaped. The blue color is almost entirely due to 
a bloom which when rubbed off leaves the leaf or fruit a dull green. 
One striking characteristic of the eucalypts is the extraordinary 
difference of the foliage in both shape and color of young and old trees. 
The leaves of the young blue gum, for instance, are opposite, sessile or 
stemless, roundish to oval in shape upon a Sharply quadrangular stem, 
and a bright gendarme blue in eolor. The leaves on mature trees are 
scattered, long-stalked, sickle-shaped, on a round stem, and a saturated 
green in color. 
The color of the new growth of the mature trees varies greatly in 
the different species. In the blue gum, H. globulus, the new growth is 
green with a yellow shading, often changing to a red brown; in #., 
rostrata, red gum, it is a bright willow green; in EL. stewartiana it is 
blue, while the main foliage is green; in polyanthema, it is blue; in £. 
viminalis, manna guin, and in H. corynocalyz, sugar gum, it is red. 
The peculiarly strong eucalyptus smell of the leaves is absolutely the 
only apparent point in common between the yearling and the mature 
tree of E. globulus. Nearly all the species have a yearling condition 
quite dissimilar from the grown form. 
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