88 
No. 132. 
Eucalyptus Consideniana, Maiden. 
The Yertchuk. 
(Family MYRTACE^E.) 
Botanical description. —Genus, Eucalyptus. (See Part II, p. 33.) 
Botanical description. —Species, -E" Consideniana, Maiden, in Proc. Linn. Soc , 
N.S.TV., xxix, 475 (1904). 
Juvenile leaves narrow-lanceolate, petiolate, soon becoming alternate. A common size is a length 
of 3 inches with a width of | inch. I have them, however, both shorter and bi’oader. They 
are narrower than those of E. Sieberiana, F.v.M., or E. piperita, Sm. Of a rather strong 
peppermint odour, and often of a silvery appearance. The young branchlets and seedling 
stems angular. 
Mature leaves commonly oblique and falcate, broadly lanceolate. I have them up to 9 inches in 
length and nearly 2 inches in greatest width ; they are rather thick in texture. Colour 
equally green on both sides, dull or shiny, blue-green or a bright sap-green. Veins strongly 
marked, spreading from the base, the intramarginal vein at a considerable distance from the 
edge, often looped (brachyaodromous). “ Leaves hang straight down ” (Cambage). 
Buds usually clavate and sometimes with pointed opercula. 
Flowers. —Anthers reniform. 
Fruits usually pyriform in shape, often nearly conical, rather more than \ inch in diameter. The 
valves often well sunk below the rim, but the points of the valves occasionally protruding. 
Sometimes the rim is slightly domed and the valves rather more exserted. The rim broad, 
smooth, well-defined, and usually red in colour. 
A medium-sized tree with grey tough bark to the tips of the branches, said bark being of that 
sub-fibrous character well known in Australia as “peppermint,” very like that of E. piperita, 
but very different from that of E. Sieberiana. 
These two species are mentioned because E. Consideniana seems to possess 
characters intermediate between them; indeed, I have suggested that it may be a 
natural hybrid, these being the parents. 
In his “ Eucalypts of Gippsland,” Trans. Boy. Soc. Viet, ii, 82, 84, 85, 
Dr. (then Mr.) A. W. Howitt speaks of a broad-leaved form of E. amygdalina known 
to the aborigines as “ Katakatak ” or “Yertchuk.” This is his E. amygdalina 
(d). lie also mentions a broad-leaved amygdalina (b) which is E. dives , Scliauer, 
(E. amygdalina , Labill., var. latifolia, Deane and Maiden). As regards the 
“ Yertchuk ” variety (d), I have received excellent specimens from Dr. Howitt, 
and refer them to E. Consideniana f 
