radiata</i>) is called in New South Wales `White Gum' or
`River White Gum.' . . . A variety of <i>E. amygdalina</i>
growing in the south coast district of New South Wales, goes by
the name of `Ribbon Gum,' in allusion to the very thin, easily
detachable, smooth bark. This is also E. radiata probably. A
further New South Wales variety goes by the name of `Cut-tail'
in the Braidwood district. The author has been unable to
ascertain the meaning of this absurd designation. These
varieties are, several of them, quite different in leaves,
bark, and timber, and there is no species better than the
present one to illustrate the danger in attempting to fit
botanical names on Eucalypts when only the vernacular names are
known."

Various other trees not of the genus Eucalyptus are also
sometimes popularly called <i>Gums</i>, such as, for instance--

Broad-leaved Water Gum--
<i>Tristania suavolens</i>, Smith.

Orange G.--
<i>Angophora lanceolata</i>, Cave.

Water G.--
<i>Callistemon lanceolatus</i>, DeC.
<i>Tristania laurina</i>, R. Br.
<i>T. neriifolia</i>, R. Br.

And others.

In addition to this, poets and descriptive writers sometimes
apply epithets, chiefly denoting colour or other outward
appearance, which are not names of distinct species, such as
<i>Cinnamon, Morrell, Salmon, Cable, Silver</i>,
etc. [See quotation under <i>Silver Gum</i>.]

1642. Abel Tasman, `Journal of the Voyage to the Unknown
Southland' (Translation by J. B. Walker in `Abel J. Tasman: His
Life, etc.' 1896)

[Under date Dec. 2, 1642, after describing the trees at Fredrik
Hendrik's Bay (now Blackman's Bay, Forestier's Peninsula,
Tasmania) 2 to 21/2 fathoms thick, 60 to 65 feet to the first
branch, and with steps 5 feet apart cut in them, Tasman says
that they found] "a little gum, fine in appearance, which drops
out of the trees, and has a resemblance to gum lac (gomma
lacca)."

1770. `Captain Cook's Journal' (ed. Wharton, 1893), p. 245:

"May 1st.--We found two sorts of gum, one sort of which is like
gum dragon, and is the same, I suppose, Tasman took for gum
lac; it is extracted from the largest tree in the woods.

"May 6th.--The biggest trees are as large or larger than our
oaks in England, and grow a good deal like them, and yield a
reddish gum; the wood itself is heavy, hard, and black like
<i>Lignum vitae</i>."

1788. Governor Phillip (Despatch, May 15) in `Historical
Records of New South Wales', vol. i. pt. ii.