150 
No. 72. 
Eucalyptus regnans, F.v.M. 
The Giant Gum Tree. 
(Natural Order .MYRTACEEh) 
Botanical description. —Genus, Eucalyptus, see p. 33, Part II. 
Botanical description. —Species, regnans, P. v. Mueller. 
Following is the original description, as quoted by Mueller himself in his 
c; Second Census of Australian Plants ” :— 
Eucalyptus amygdalina, Lindl.—In our sheltered springy (containing water-springs, J.H.M.) forest 
glens attaining not rarely a height of over 400 feet, there forming a smooth stem and broad leaves, 
producing also seedlings of a foliage different to the ordinary state of Euc. amygdalina as occurs in more 
open country. This species or variety, which might be called Euc. regnans, represents the loftiest tree in 
the British territory, and ranks next to the Sequoia Wellingtonia in size anywhere on the globe. The 
wood is fissile, well adapted for shingles, rails, for house-building, for the keelson and planking of ships, 
and other purposes. Labillardiere’s name applies ill to any of the forms of this species. Seedlings raised 
on rather barren ground near Melbourne have shown the same amazing rapidity of growth as those of 
Euc. globulus; yet like those of Euc. obliqua , they are not so easily satisfied with any soil.—[Report of 
the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria (now Zoological and Acclimatisation Society ), 7th report, 1S70, 
p. 48.] 
The species may be more formally defined in the following words :— 
A large tree, the largest indeed in Australia, though inferior in size to the Redwood (Sequoia 
sempervirens and the “ Big Tree ” ( Sequoia Wellingtonia) of Western America (British 
Columbia and California). Trees about 300 feet high are known in Victoria, and high in 
girth and straight in trunk they tower into the sky, affording little shade from their foliage 
because the scanty crown of leaves is so far removed from the earth. Some of the largest 
trees of New South Wales also belong to this species. 
Juvenile Leaves. —The young seedlings of this Eucalypt are at first a good deal like those of the 
typical amygdalina, but with somewhat broader, lanceolar, opposed leaves. These are soon 
replaced by broadly lanceolar, scattered, unequal-sided, pointed leaves, very like those of 
E. obliqua. The saplings so much resemble those of this Eucalypt in other respects that at 
first sight they might be confused. Their shape is brought out in the figure. 
Mature leaves. —Lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, shining on both sides, usually thin in texture 
(but sometimes quite coriaceous) veins slightly spreading, oil-dots extremely numerous. 
Indeed, a common method of recognising E. regnans is to hold up a leaf to the light and to 
notice the fine oil-dots which cover its surface, but this character should be used with 
caution as leaves of a few other species possess it. 
Buds. —The operculum hemispherical to conical, the pointed character being more obvious in dried 
specimens. 
Flowers. —The anthers reniform. While the umbels are mostly solita»y, it is not unusual to 
find them in pairs, a character which is shared with some other species of the Renantherse, 
e.g., E. Andrewsi, Maiden. 
