^23 
TMe tropical AGRICULTUEIST. [Oct. 1, 1902. 
venation faintly marked, lateral veins distant 
oblique, spreading, the marginal vein removed from 
the edge, producing at the base of the leaf a trinervate 
appearance. Petiole slender, under 1 inch long. 
Flowers in axillary or terminal panicles, 6-8 in the 
head. Oalyx under 2 lines long, 1 line in diameter, 
tapering into a slender pedicle. Operculum hemis- 
pherical, depressed, very shortly acuminate. Ovary 
flat-topped. Outer stamens sterile. Anthers parallel, 
opening by pores at the truncate end. 
Fruits small, 2 lines long and IJ lines in diameter, 
rim thin, contracted slightly at the oriiioe, valves not 
ezsertod. 
Hah. — Bathnrst, Rylstone and Camboon (B. T, 
Baker^ ; Hargraves (A. A. Sufctor); Gerogery (L. iSIann) 
A medium-sized or rather stunted tree giowing in 
poor, sandy, rocky soil. The bark can hardly be 
said to be smooth, and neither is it altogether a box. 
bark such as that of E. albens, Miq., or £J. hemiphloia, 
but rather between a box and a smooth bark, Tho 
upper parts of the trank and limbs are quite smooth. 
It is allied to E .melliodora in the shape and ve- 
nation of the leaves, and perhaps in the exterior 
character of the bark, but it has not the yellow satia 
on the inner surface of the ba.rk such as obtains 
in EmeUiodom. It diflers, however, from that speoiea 
in the shape of the fruits, colour of timber, and 
chemical constituents of its oil. 
It differs from the typical E. polyanthema, Scb., 
of Victoria, which has a persistent box-bark right 
out to the branchlets, larger and obicular-shaped 
leaves, and larger fruits. The oils of the two species 
are not nt all identical, but there is a resemblance in 
their timbers. 
It differs from E. conica, Deane & Maiden, in 
having a smoothish bark, and in the shape of the 
leaves and fruits, and chemical constituents of the 
oil ; nor can it be confounded with E. pendula, A. 
Gunn., {E. largiUorens, F. v. M.) which h'ss a box-bark, 
and fruits and leaves quite different from this 
a species. 
The timber, leaves and bark differentiate it from 
the Lignumvitffl, E. Fletcheri, Baker, of St. Mary's 
Knd Thirlmere. 
In botanical sequence it is placed next to E Dmosoni 
Baker, as it approaches this tree in the colour of its 
timber, and occasionally in the shape of the leaves, 
but differs in every other respect. 
There appears to be no reference to this tree in the 
writings of Dr. Wools and Mr. A. G Hamilton, 
both of whom wrote on the Mndgee Flora eo that 
it must have escaped their observations, as it occurs 
at Hargrave, mid-way between Mudgee and 
Wellington. 
Timber— When growing on poor ironstone ridges 
the tree becomes rather stunted and the stem has 
a tendency to barrel, so that it yields only small 
specimens of timber. It is red-colouied, hard, close 
and straight-grained, and very durable in the ground. 
It is suitable for all kinds of heavy work. 
Oil, — The yield of oil from this species is '27 per 
cent. It contains much phellandrene and but a 
minnte quantity of encalyptol at time of distillation. 
It is not, however, a commercial oil. It is dis- 
tinctly different from E. polyanthema, schau., of the 
aontfa, which gives a commercial oil rich in eucalyptol. 
The specific gravity of the crude oil at 15" C. is 
•9058. The specific rotation of crude oil [a] D=-993° 
There is very little difference in the constituents 
of this oil and that of E Fletcheri, Baker, the " Lignum- 
vitae " or Black Box at St. Mary's, as they bnth 
contain the same constituents in practically the same 
rtmonnt (H. G. Smith). 
E. Fletcheei, sp. nov, 
' LlGNUM-VITiE," "Box," 
(Plate xlv.) 
A mediam-sized tr^e with a boz-bark on the trauk, 
brtncbes smooth, branchlets glaucous, 
Leaves from orbicular to ovate-acuminato in shape 
sometimes oblique, cnneate or rounded at the basa 
from 1 inch to 3 or 4 in diameter, thin, not shining; 
venation faintly marked, lateral veins oblique 
spreading ; intramarginal vein removed from the 
edge, more pronounced at the b»se, giving a trinerved 
appearance to the leaf. Oil glands very nnmeroas; 
flowers numerous in axillary or terminal panicles 
peduncles short, 2-3 lines loug. 
Buds about 5 lines long. Calyx conical, with- 
S3arcely any pedicel. Operculum hemisphericali very 
shortly accaminate or obtuse. 
Ovary flat-topped. Outer stamens sterile. Anthers 
parallel, opening by terminal pores. 
Fruits conical, about 4 lines long, 3 lines broad; 
rim thin, and mostly in mature fruits with a 
notch ; capsule sunk. 
/ia6.— South Creek, St, Mary's (R. T. Baker and 
N. V. Fletcher); banks of the Nepean Biver 
(Rev. Dr. Wools); Thirlmere (W- Cambage). 
It is named after the late Norman Fletcher, B. A., 
a promising young botanist much interested in 
Eucalypts, who, in Company with the author, some 
years ago discovered trees of this species at South 
Cctek, St. Mary's near the railway bridge, A tree 
apparently restricted in its geographical distribution 
to the watershed of the Nepean River of this colony. 
The late Dr. Wools was very probably the first 
to collect material of this tree for botanical deter- 
mination, and he forwarded it to Mueller under the 
local name of " Lignum- vitse" (Eacalyptographia, 
Deo. iii). This latter author, working on morpho- 
logical grounds, confounded it with the Victorian 
' Red Box,' E polyanthema, Schau. The dried speci- 
mens of tbe two species are very much alike in 
the shape of the leaves and fruits, but the trees differ 
considerably in other characters. For instance, the 
Victorian ' Red Box ' has a persistent box-bark right 
out to the branchlets, and a dark red timber, while 
its leaves are larger than those of this species. 
The New South Wales tree has thick, rough, Haky 
bark, and the loood %ohich is of a brown colour towards 
the centre, is very h'<rd and tough as recorded by Dr. 
Wools (Fl. Aus. p. 236). The two timbers alone are 
sufficie it to differentiate the trees, whilst their 
essential oils possess quite distinct chemical con- 
stituents. 
This is another example showing how essential 
it is that field observations are required in order 
to determine correctly the specific rank of Eucalypts. 
It generally occurs on the banks of rivers and 
creeks, growing along with E. hicolor, Cunn., but 
this le tter species, although having a somewhat 
similar bark and timber, is quite different in the fruits 
leaves, venation and oil, 
In colour of timber and bark it appears to stand 
apart from the_ western " Boxes," such as E. 
Woolsiaiia, E. conica, Deane & Maiden, E. albens, Miq. 
but in fruit and shape of leaves it resembles E 
populi folia and E poli/anthema, Scha,xi.v/bilst it only 
approaches E conica in the shape of the fruit. 
The leaves are thinner thsia tboae of E popiUi/oUa 
and have not the lustre so distinctive of that 
species. 
It differs also from this latter species in tbe shape 
of its fruits, and in its timber and oil. 
E quadranqalata, Deane & Maiden has a lighter 
coloured timber, sessile fruits with extended valves 
and lanceolate leaves. 
Timber.— It is well described by Dr. Wools {loc. cit). 
No doubt owing to its good qualities it has been 
extensively cut by timber-getters as it is quite rare 
now in its original habitat (Nepean), but is more 
plentiful at Thirlmere. It is worthy of propagation 
Oil. — The yield of oil from this species ia -294 per 
cent. It contains much phellandrene and but a 
minute quantity of eucalyptol. In constituents and 
characters this oil differs but little from that obtained 
from " Red Box," E ovalifoUa, Baker, of Rylstone. 
The specific gravity of the crude oil at 15'=> C, ia -'830& 
