The. South Jnstrdmn Naturalist^ 
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TREES. 
Vo 4 Mamia Cium, HucaHl^tns nminalis: Labill, Fig. 3, p. 71. 
’ ' ■ ■ By- \\bii. Ham and K. H. Islng. 
I. GENERAL. . 7 
This-species was named from specimens collected in Tasmania 
('■'habitat in': capite .Van-Diemen”) _ by Labillardicre, ^ 
the natiir.ali.st on Baudin’s.. Expedition to Australia >n 1802,,) m 
Ills 'work “Novae Hollandae. .plantarum specip-ien published gn 
Paris in .1806! It is therefore one of the earliest species named. 
It has received a variety of common names, viz., white, river or 
weeping gum, blackbutt,, blue gum, boxtree,, peppermint, in Vic ; 
Ribbonv, weeping, white, grey or droopmg ^m, ^mountain ush, 
blue gum and woolly butt, m N.S.W White Gum .appeals to be 
the name most favoured not excepting “Manna Gum _ by which 
it is now usually known. The former' common name is given on 
account of the whitish trunk of the tree, and the latter on account 
of the “manna” gum exuded from the leaves at certain times. 
II. BOTANICAL. 
Eucalyptus, vimivdis, Labill, 1806. The name “viminalis” means 
drooping and is an appropriate one as it descnbes.the small bianch- 
lets and leaves which are pendulous in habit. This species belongs 
to the smooth-bark 'gum group, section Leiophloiae of Maiden (IR 
There is an exception recorded from Kuitpo, where the trunk has a 
rough scaly bark extending to the branches. ; There are no botan- 
ical differences .between the two and if this variation from the 
type is characteristic from the early stages of growth close 
ination and growing the two varieties from seed may enable a 
distinct separation to be made. Other smooth-barked gums such 
as the red (£. rostrata) and yellow (£. leucoxylon) have a similar 
variation in the bark but not to such an extent, the trunks on some 
of these trees may be smooth to the ground and others may be 
roiigh-barked up to 10 feet from the base. Beuhne records (2) 
in' Victoria that “there is perhaps no, otheip-species of Eucalypt 
which varies so much in general appearance in different surround- 
ings, for while in some districts the manna gum is a tall, straight. 
Stately tree, with upper trunk cl&an and smooth, in othei localities, 
particularly in dry country, it is sometimes quite stunted, with 
drooping branches, and covered with a rough bark from, the 
ground to the smaller limbs.”. The bark peels annually in Jong 
ribbons which often hang for months from the trunk, giving 
the tree a “ribbony” appearance, hence the common name m 
some districts. The trunk grows to a good, size some large 
ones measure 2 feet in diameter, they grow- straight but often give 
off branches rather low down. 
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(1) Crit. Rev. Gen. Euc., Part 51, 1922. 
(2) “Honey Flora of Victoria” 1922, p. 41. 
