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Affinities. 
1. With E. pofjitlifolia Hook. 
This is the " Bimbil," " Bibble," or " Poplar-leaved Box." E. populifolia 
has shiny leaves, usually more fibrous bark, and a brown timber. The leaves on 
this species, also, vary a good deal in width. The anthers arc very different. 
2. With E. Baueriana Scliaucr. " Blue Box." 
This species has long been confused with E. polyanthcmos, which is the best 
evidence that it is necessary to issue a caution on the subject, e.g., " Wood close- 
grained and twisted, very tough, and so hard as to have given rise to the name of 
Lignum Vitro for it in sonic regions of New South Wales " (Woolls). (Mueller 
in " Eucalyptographia," a passage which really refers to E. Baueriana, although 
under E. polyanthemos.) As regards herbarium specimens, those of E. Baueriana 
are less glaucous and often more slaty-looking than E. polyanthemot, leaves thinner, 
the opercula less pointed, and the fruits more conical and with thinner rims. The 
forester would not confuse the trees for a moment. The bark of E. Baueriana is 
woolly up to the small branches, that of E. polyanthcmos being usually smooth or 
ribbony. The timber of E. Baueriana is pale brown or brown, while that of 
E, polyanthemos is deep red. The anthers are similar. 
3. With E. melliodora A. Cunn. "Yellow Box." 
Sometimes those two species, from bark alone, are hard to discriminate. 
They both may have scaly-box bark at the butt for a considerable distance, there- 
after ribbony bark or a " White Gum " appearance. 
The bark of E. melliodora is more persistent than that of E. polyanthemos, 
the ribbony bark, however, never descending so low as in the latter. A man might 
readily be forgiven if he called one poly anthe mos tree a Box and another a Gum, 
and as a matter of fact this is commonly done. 
E. melliodora has a very yellow inner bark and sapwood, with longer and 
narrower and more pendulous leaves and fewer flowers. The anthers arc similar. 
E. poly until emos has a white sap and red heart wood. E. polyanthcmcs has 
comparatively narrow leaves at the top of the tree. 
Following are some field notes : 
"Cullen Bullen to Capcrtee. E. polyanthemos reminds one of Yellow Box 
(E. melliodora} slightly a ribbony gum on young trees, scaly bark when older, 
at least as far as the first fork and often beyond. Handsome trees ; wood red ; 
we then found a tree 3 feet in diameter, and reminding one a good deal of 
E. terelicornis, the smooth part of a yellow cast. The buds of a yellowish cast and 
often a little glaucous. Little conical opercula, Wood, red. Very free flowerer. 
Fruits conoid." (J.II.M.) 
B 
