Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Eastern grey boxes 
(Eucalyptus ser. Moluccanae Chippendale, Myrtaceae) and 
the reinstatement of Eucalyptus woollsiana R.T.Baker 
A.R. Bean 
Summary 
Bean, A.R. (2009). Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Eastern grey boxes ( Eucalyptus ser. 
Moluccanae Chippendale, Myrtaceae) and the reinstatement of Eucalyptus woollsiana R.T.Baker. 
Austrobaileya 8(1): 25-34. Four species are recognised in the Eastern grey box group, E. moluccana 
Roxb., E. albens Benth., E. woollsiana R.T.Baker and E. microcarpa (Maiden) Maiden. E. pilligaensis 
is reduced to synonymy under E. woollsiana. The taxonomic status of E. microcarpa is discussed. 
The nomenclature of E. woollsiana is discussed and lectotypes are selected for E. woollsiana and E. 
albens. Distribution maps and a key to species are provided. 
Key Words: Myrtaceae, Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus albens. Eucalyptus microcarpa. Eucalyptus 
moluccana. Eucalyptus pilligaensis. Eucalyptus woollsiana, Australia, Australian flora, taxonomy, 
nomenclature, identification keys 
A.R.Bean, Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment & Resource Management, Brisbane Botanic 
Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Queensland 4066, Australia. Email: tony.bean@derm.qld.gov.au 
Introduction 
The Eastern grey box group {Eucalyptus ser. 
Moluccanae) was established by Chippendale 
(1988), who included four species, viz. E. 
moluccana Roxb., E. microcarpa (Maiden) 
Maiden, E. albens Benth. and E. pilligaensis 
Maiden. These species are commonly referred 
to as the “Eastern grey boxes” or the “Grey 
boxes”. This group is defined by the grey 
scaly box-bark persistent on the trunk and 
sometimes on larger branches; deciduous 
bark shedding in long ribbons; the adnate 
anthers; the presence of two opercula, both 
held until maturity (and hence operculum 
scar absent); mature buds with one or more 
longitudinal ridges, sometimes extending to 
the operculum; stamens all fertile; the fruits 
often slightly or distinctly barrel-shaped, i.e. 
broadest below the distal end of the fruit; and 
the fruiting valves deeply enclosed. 
Brooker (2000) altered the rank and 
circumscription of the group. His Eucalyptus 
supraspeciesAfo/Mcca«ae(Chippendale)Brooker 
included nine species, viz. E. moluccana , 
E. microcarpa , E. pilligaensis , E. albens , E. 
polybractea R.T.Baker, E. odorata Behr, E. 
viridis R.T.Baker, E. persistens L.A.S.Johnson 
Accepted for publication 1 September 2009 
& K.D.Hill and E. lansdowneana subsp. 
albopurpurea Boomsa (now E. albopurpurea 
(Boomsa) D.Nicolle). The recently named 
Eucalyptus castrensis K.D.Hill (Hill & 
Stanberg 2002) and E. aenea K.D.Hill (Hill 
1997) could reasonably be added to this 
group. 
This paper deals with the four species 
of ser. Moluccanae of Chippendale (1988). 
These are the only species known as the 
“Eastern grey boxes”. With the exception of 
Eucalyptus odorata , the other species included 
by Brooker (2000) are either mallees or are 
geographically disjunct from occurrences of 
Eastern grey boxes. 
Clinal variation in eucalypts: There are 
a great number of Eucalyptus species that 
are relatively uniform and can always be 
distinguished from their relatives, e.g. 
E. tenuipes (Maiden & Blakely) Blakely & 
C.T.White, E. longifolia Link, E. robusta Sm. 
While identification of these species may 
not always be easy, they do not appear to 
intergrade with any other species. 
However, eucalyptologists have long 
acknowledged that for other species there is 
extensive intergradation or clinal variation 
within and between them. For instance, 
