Habitat.
— So far as we know at present, it is confined to eastern New South Wales, from the Illawarra and the southern tableland in the north as far as North Gippsland (Bairnsdale district), Victoria in the south.
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VICTORIA.
It grows only in GippsIand, especially on limestone formations, commencing to the westward of Bairnsdale, and extending beyond Lake Tyers. Unfortunately, it grew principally upon lands which were required for settlement, and consequently, immense quantities of this tree have been ringbarked. It is still found growing on some private lands, on some unalienated Crown lands, in the neighbourhood of lake King, and in Cunninghame State Forest. (A. W. Howitt, in an unpublished report, 1895.)
I have observed a small colony of E. Bosistoana (E. odorata in original) growing in South Gippsland, near Four-mile Creek. The occurrence of this tree in the Miocene limestones of North Gippsland falls in with the statement made by Baron von Mueller that it occurs upon limestone areas at St. Vincent's Gulf.note (A. W. Howitt, loc. cil., p. 95.)
It grows principally on the Miocene limestones in the littoral tracts of North Gippsland. (A. W. Howitt in a letter to me.)
NEW SOUTH WALES.
Following is a copy of a label by Oldfield (dated 1866), in Herb. Barbey-Boissier:— "Box-tree. — Tree, 160 feet; bark dark grey, spongy on trunk; limbs very white, soft to the touch,. like velvet. Stony Ranges, called Mountain Hut Range, near Eden, Twofold Bay." Later, the label bears the name E. leucoxylon in Oldfield's handwriting. The specimens are E. Bosistoana, F.v.M. There are similar specimens in Herb. Cant. labelled "No. IX Eucalyptus leucoxylon, F.M., 'Box-tree,' New South Wales, Hb. Oldfield," and, doubtless, in other herbaria.
This is the key, in my opinion, to the use of the name "Box" having been attached to E. leucoxylon. The name Box is never used in Australia for true E. leucoxylon, so far as my experience goes. If it is soused, it must be very rarely.
Bega district; also "Red, Grey, White Box," Cobargo (J. S. Allan); Mt. Dromedary (Miss Bate); " Grey Box," Noorooma (A. Langley); abounds in Wagonga district (F. R. Benson); "Grey Box" (J. V. de Coque); and "Red Box" (J. S. Allan), both in the Moruya district; Lower Araluen (J.H.M.); Milton; also "Yellow Box," West Dapto (R. H Cambage); "Box" or "White Box" of Razorback, 4 miles from Wingello (J.H.M. and J. L. Boorman); Marulan (A. Murphy). (E. Bosistoana, from Marulan, was provisionally determined by F.v.M. as E. bicolor many years ago.) Bullio to Wombeyan (R. H. Cambage and J.H.M.).
Cabramatta district, County of Cumberland, occurring between Bankstown and the Cabramatta Railway Station, and also thence to Bringelly and Cabramatta (now Rossmore).
Woolls' Cabramatta specimens, already referred to, have large, plump flower buds; there are no fruits.
"There used to be some large trees of it near Bringelly, growing in a swampy place. Wood reddish-yellow and very tough when dry." (W. Woolls.)
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Then on specimens collected by J. L. Boorman at Bankstown, on 8th February, 1900, he and I made the following notes:—
"No. 13, 'Yellow Box.' Very tall trees, ribbony base. Clean grey tips from, 12 to 14 feet from ground. Leaves elliptic ovate, acuminate, of a glaucous colour. Timber yellow. Usually known as Bastard Box."
Subsequently, on 20th July, 1901, I went to Cabramatta with Mr. Bowman and interviewed Mr. Hoy, a local resident, in regard to the range of this tree in the district and compared the local Grey Box (E. hemiphloia) wtih it.