THE GUM TREE. 



M itli (lark coloured aii<i"iilnftMl capsiilps, roTitaiii- 

 iug' mvdW black sued?;. The flow ers of tlic srvcriil 

 species secrete a liouey, which exudes at first 

 lik« i[ew-'6xtfpBf and aftmraanfe iemisa^es MjLn 

 an albumen, aliteaeiJxfcf mtiltiHtides t3$ Itt^ecis, 

 which soon deface the purity the flowers before 

 jm^seiited. The natives readily pnnlucr fire, 

 by rubbing two pieces of tlie trunk of this tree 



^tMs t^m h hmd atedaii% in seT6£al parts 



of the colony, and there arc already seven de- 

 scribed species. It is named t/rdss tnc^' by 

 the colonists fnnn its long pendent grassy fo- 

 liage, and ** yellow gum tree' from secreting a 

 quantity of yellowlsk gmn,* It is a tree of 

 curious growth, and I ltav# seen the s))feies 

 called hasffir from ei<>ht to ten feet ln*j;]i, mid 

 the triuik sonietim(\'? siiriuoiinted b\- I'roiii I wo 

 to four heads; each bearing a ilowering jiieui, 



which jidfes ifcom the ipentre ot the folfege to the 

 length of sis feet and upwards : it is rotind and 



very h'glit, condiininti" liulttne-^s with strouoth, 

 and is used by the al n>ri*; iru s i'or inakin*::, I heir 

 spears, fish gigs, ^c. The scape teruiinates in 

 a cylindrkal s|>ike ; the flwm ate smaUi wMte, 

 and numerous ; an albumen i& secreted from 



* The mialysis of the ciicmicid jWOpertiwof this ist 

 mentioned in Det-auilolle's Orgnnogmptili^ V<gg5tiilei torn L 



