No. 223. 
Eucalyptus propinqua Deane and Maiden. 
< r Small-Fruited Grey Gum. -, 
(Family MYRTACE^E.) 
Botanical description. Gemis Eucalyptus. (See Part II, p. 33). 
Botanical description. Species E. propinqua Deane and Maiden in Proc, Linn. 
Soc. N.S.W., xx, 541 (1895), with Plate xliii. 
A large, straight growing, cylindrical-stemmed tree, found up to 4 or 5 feet in diameter, 
and 120 feet and more in height. 
Bark. It has a grey, dusty-looking, slightly raspy appearance as regards its bark. Next to 
the Blue or Flooded Gum (taligna) it is one of the straightest stemmed trees in the forest. 
The bark darkens, peels off in large longitudinal irregular patches, leaving a smooth white 
surface, which in course of time darkens, peels off, and the process is indefinitely 
repeated. The bark closely resembles, and is perhaps not to be distinguished from, that 
of E. punctata. 
Timber. Dark coloured, and so closely resembling Bed Ironbark (E. siderophloia) that care 
is required to distinguish the two timbers. Inclined to have rings or " scabs " of kino, 
which diminishes the demand for it for sawn stuff. Very durable in or out of the ground, 
but its tensile strength inferior to that of the Ironbark already referred to. 
Juvenile leaves. More broadly lanceolate, and with the marginal vein more distant from 
the edge, than in the case of mature leaves. At first opposite. 
Mature leaves. Narrow lanceolate and very uniform. Average length 4-5 inches, breadth f inch. 
Veins not prominent, lateral veins nearly parallel; marginal vein on or very close to the 
edge of the leaf as a very general rule. Edge usually slightly recurved. 
Peduncles flattened. 
Calyx-tube hemispherical, and longer than the operculum. Sometimes with the angles of the 
flattened pedicel decurrent. 
Flowers in a marked manner pedicellate ; usually in tens, but the umbels containing as few as 
five flowers. 
Operculum hemispherical in general outline, but with a low pointed apex. 
Stamens inflexed before expansion, the anthers opening by parallel slits, and all fertile. 
Fruit. Very uniform in size, about 2 lines broad by If lines deep. Usually 4-celled; 
occasionally 3-celled; 5-celled not seen at present. The rim usually shows two sharp 
edges, with the intervening space concave. The valves are well exserted. 
Botanical Name. Eucalyptus, already explained (see Part II, p. 34) ; 
propinqua, Latin, near of kin, or allied, a name given because of its close affinity to 
E. punctata DC. 
