CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GENUS EUCALYPTUS. 27 
THE FOLIAGE. 
The Eucalypts present great variety inthe appearance of their foli- 
age. Of some species it is bluish, of others a light or grayish green, 
and of still others a very dark green. Of some the foliage is dense, 
but of many species it is open, affording but little shade. The foliage 
and young twigs of all species possess a more or less pronounced odor, 
due to the presence of oil-dots. To the majority of people the odor 
of most species is agreeable—in some cases quite fragrant. 
Of many species the leaves of the young seedlings are of a different 
shape from those of the adult tree. Asa rule, the leaves of the seed- 
ling tree are broader, shorter, and shorter-stemmed than those of the 
older ones. As the tree grows older, the newly formed leaves are com- 
monly successively longer and narrower, until the adult form is reached. 
This change usually occurs during the first year or two of the tree’s 
growth. The leaves of some species are opposite on the stem of the 
young seedlings, becoming scattered as the change to the adult leaf- 
form occurs. Only a few species have permanently opposite leaves. 
These marked characteristics in seedling leaves furnish one means of 
identifying species. A grower or purchaser of young Eucalypts, if 
he knows what the nature of the leaves should be, can distinguish the 
species very early in their development. It is for the purpose of 
furnishing assistance on this point that the illustrations of seedlings 
are given in this publication. (See Pls. LX X XI to LX X XIX.) 
The mature leaves of most species are comparatively long and slen- 
der, the prevailing shape being that of a lance, or somewhat curved 
like a sickle. They vary considerably as to texture, those of some 
species being thin and papery, while those of the majority are more 
or less thick and leathery. Instead of spreading horizontally and 
being darker colored above than below, as is the case with most flat- 
leafed trees, the leaves of the majority of species present one edge to 
the sky, the two surfaces consequently having the same or nearly the 
same appearance. Those species with leaves spreading horizontally 
naturally furnish more shade than those whose leaves hang with one 
edge skyward. 
THE BLOOM. 
The Eucalypts bear flowers that are more or less conspicuous. The 
flowers of different species differ sufficiently to render very material 
help in deciding upon the correct name of a tree. The greatest 
differences are in the flower buds, which, just before they open, are 
much more useful in determining the species to which a tree belongs 
than the open flowers. Most species bloom freely and many bloom 
very profusely. The trees of most species produce flowers early in 
their development, blossoms sometimes appearing on 2 or 3 year old 
