77 
GROUP V. E. RISDONI. E. VIMINALIS. 
63. Ei. RISDONI Hooker f.; variety elata, Bentham. 
NATURAL HABITAT, DESCRIPTION, AND USES. 
E. Risdoni is indigenous exclusively to Tasmania. It is one of the species in 
which the trees often begin to bear flowers and seed-vessels while they are still 
very small and still wholly or partially clothed with juvenile foliage. What has 
been called the tall variety (data) is now understood to be the same tree in its 
fully adult form, change from one form to another being retarded or accelerated 
by soil and situation. As we know the tree in New Zealand it early passes the 
juvenile stage and grows rapidly to a height of 50ft. to 70ft. The branchlets have 
a drooping habit, the young leaves and buds being more or less touched over with 
a glaucous bloom. The dead hark is non-fibrous and falls away from branches and 
stem in patches, leaving a surface of dull grey aspect. Leaves in juvenile stage 
sessile, opposite, frequently united at their bases or connate, heartshaped or broad 
lance-shaped; on adult trees stalked, 5in. to Gin. long, rather narrow, pendent. 
LTmbel with several flowers; stalk /gin., stalklets /sin.; lid of bud low, dome-like, 
anthers kidney-shaped with wide divergent openings. Ripe seed-cup 5/16in. to 
%in. wide and a little less in depth, in shape like a broad spinning-top, rim 
convex, flat, or countersunk, sometimes divided into an inner and outer ring by a 
shallow groove; tips of open valves just below or slightly above rim. Mature 
wood brown, dense, fissile; reputed to be very durable in contact with the ground. 
CULTIVATION IN NEW ZEALAND. 
Many specimens have grown to a good pole size in cool parts of the North Island 
and in northern Canterbury. Like E. amygdalina, E. Risdoni appears to be able 
to flourish on rather dry and poor country. The species may certainly be 
included in the list of fence post and wire-pole yielders, and should be g^en fuither 
trial wherever it has already done fairly well. Strictest care should be used to 
collect seed only from largest and best acclimatized specimens. 
64. E. VIMINALIS Labillardiere. 
NATURAL HABITAT, DESCRIPTION, AND 
USES. 
Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales aH possess E 
viminalis as an indigenous constituent of their forest flora. It attained its 
optimum in the well-watered upland valleys of the south-eastern mainland States 
at altitudes of 1,000ft. to 2,500ft. Reports crediting it with altitudes up to a 
over 4 000ft probably refer to its close congener E. Dalrympleana. In what may 
be regarded as its typical form E. viminalis is a very tall tree ’ 
heivv crown of spreading branches and drooping foliage. I he dead bark is sud 
hea.y crowno ’U branches and ste m in ribbons and sheets, except at the 
fibrous and tails away Horn Diancnes u « f ± qq ie newlv 
l,.,ce of the tree where it may persist to a height of a tew teet. me newiy 
exnosed surface of the living bark is white with a tinge of green and so smooth 
?hA t shTnes in bright sunlight as if it had been polished or touched oyer with 
tlwt it Jin . _ g h juvenile stage are sessile, opposite in pairs, 
white enamel. The leav “ m /"W. stalked or petiolate, long, narrow, 
lance-shaped, thin; on the adl * the two surfaces. The umbel is 
unbalanced, and of about tire same green on 
