131 
No. 65. 
Eucalyptus amygdalina, Labill. 
A Peppermint. 
(Natural Order MYRTACEyE.) 
Botanical description. —Genus, Eucalyptus. (See Part II, p. 33.) 
Botanical description. —Species, amygdalina, Labill., PL Nov. Holl. ii, 14 t., 
154. 
The following description is based upon Bentbam (B.P1. iii, 202), but by no 
means literally follows the classical work referred to:— 
A tree, usually small or moderate-sized, but sometimes attaining a considerable height, the bark 
fibrous and persistent, not so fibrous as that of a “ Stringybark,” and of a looser texture than 
that of a “ Box ”; of the character usually known in Australia as “ Peppermint,” since it 
was originally observed on trees at Port Jackson whose foliage emitted a peppermint odour 
when crushed. The fibrous bark occurs only on the trunk, or at most on the largest branches ; 
the branches are usually quite smooth. 
Juvenile foliage. —Opposite, narrow-lanceolate. Probably all forms have the twigs more or less 
rusty glandular. Sometimes they are in threes. The under-side is often purple. 
Mature foliage. —From linear to broadly lanceolate, straight or falcate, mostly acuminate, and 2 to 
4 inches long; when narrow, often rather thin; when broad, thicker; the veins few and oblique, 
but often inconspicuous, the intramarginal one at a distance from the edge, or rarely near 
to it. This species varies in the size, shape, and texture of the leaves. The usual shape 
in New South Wales is lanceolate, or even broadly lanceolate, but the typical form is 
linear-lanceolate or even nearly linear, comparatively thick, and the veins very oblique at 
the base, not prominent. Sometimes the foliage is quite dense ; in other cases it is sparse. 
Buds. —Clavate, often glandular and rough. 
Calyx-tube. —Turbinate, about 2 lines in diameter, tapering into a pedicel often as long as itself. 
Operculum. —Hemispherical, shorter than the calyx-tube, very obtuse or slightly umbonate. 
Peduncles. —Axillary or lateral, terete or nearly so, with 4 to 8 and even more flowers. 
Flowers. —-Stamens under 2 lines long, inflected in the bud, all perfect; anthers small, with 
diverging more or less confluent cells. Ovary, flat-topped. 
Fruit. —Subglobose-truncate, usually under 3 lines in diameter, but larger in some varieties, slightly 
contracted at the orifice, the rim flat or slightly concave and rather broad, the capsule not 
at all or only slightly sunk, the valves flat or slightly protruding. 
Following is a general description of them as far as New South Wales is concerned :— 
They are of a pilular shape, though with some tendency to pear-shape. They are wide at the 
mouth and almost hemispherical; the rim thin and also thickish and well defined. As compared with 
New South Wales forms, the Tasmanian specimens have often more domed fruits, and the rim thicker and 
more conspicuous. 
Bentham’s “ sub-globose truncate " applies to some of the forms. 
The tips of the valves are sometimes slightly exserted. 
