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Fruits. —-The shape and size are alike variable. The calyx nearly hemispherical, but more 
usually gradually continued into the stalk, so as to take on a conoid shape. The pedicels not 
long, but the common petiole often an inch long. The rim prominent, usually more or less 
domed, and the valves usually exsert. The valves were originally described as enclosed, but 
this is not commonly the case in perfectly ripe fruits. 
Botanical Name.— Eucalyptus, already explained, p. 34 Part II; ret/nans, 
Latin, reigning or dominating, in allusion to the towering height of the typical 
trees. 
Vernacular Names. —In its smooth-harked (Victorian) form it hears the 
name of “Mountain Ash,” and even “ White Gum,” hut it varies as to the amount 
of rough bark, and indeed its commonest name in Victoria is “ Blackbutt. In New 
South Wales it is most usually called “ Blackbutt ” also, though in one district the 
name “ Cut-tail ” is in use. 
The origin of the term “ Cut-tail ” is as follows, and refers to the fissile properties, it being 
considered the best timber for splitting in the districts where it occurs. Amongst the splitters in the 
south, at least about Delegate and parts of Gippsland, there used to be much ambitious rivalry as to who 
could split the thinnest and finest shingles of this timber, and some of them went beyond the thinness of 
shingles and split it even thinner. Then if a splitter showed such very thin pieces to other splitters, 
naturally some would say that it was mere accident to get those pieces so thin, and there was nothing 
remarkable about it. The result of that was that some splitters would set to work and cut out pieces the 
length of a shingle and somewhat longer ; these they would split as fine as they possibly' could, taking care 
to leave a short portion of it solid ; this solid portion they called the “ tail.” If a splitter had such a piece, 
then of course he had evident proof that it was not mere accident but downright dexterity in splitting 
which accomplished the feat. This fine splitting was carried so far that (given a good tree) they would 
split a piece into such thin portions that one could bend them like the leaves of a book, which it roughly 
resembled, with the solid part at one end resembling the back of the book. Those pieces were called 
“cut-tail ” and the splitters were very proud of them, as it required a delicate touch for a rough working¬ 
man to split so thin and yet stop short at the right moment, so as not to run the piece out in its whole 
length, else of course it would not be a “ cut-tail.” From the piece itself the name was transferred to the 
tree, and a splitter would point out to you that such and such a tree is a “cut-tail.”—(W. Bauerlen, in 
Proc. Linnean Society, N.S.W. 1899, 547.) 
Aboriginal Name.— I know of none. 
SyilOliyms. —1. E. amygdalina, Labilh, var. regnans, F.v.M. 
2. E. amydalina, Labilh, var. colossea, F.v.M.; but not to be confused with 
E. colossea, F.v.M., which is a synonym of E. diversicolor, F.v.M. 
3. E. inophloia, F.v.M. (Official Reports of the Victorian Exhibition of 1861, 
and Intercol. Exhib. of Australasia, Melbourne, 1866-67). 
4. E. fastigata, Beane and Maiden. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.JF., 1896, p. 809. 
Leaves. —Note the observation above in regard to the thinness and numerous 
and fine oil-dots of the leaves. 
Bark. —It has more or less of a sub-fibrous, dark-coloured bark on the butt 
and trunk. On the giant trees of Victoria there is often very little of this bark, but 
on others, in the same State, this bark runs further up the trunk and becomes more 
