Patterns of variation in the Eucalyptus globulus Labill. complex are r
eassessed by combining capsule measurements from an earlier study with
recent collections, mainly of subspecies globulus. Four groups of pop
ulations are apparent and can be ascribed to the four subspecies maide
nii, psuedoglobulus, bicostata and globulus. Intergrade populations be
tween the latter three subspecies are widespread and mainly occur in t
he Otway Ranges and west Gippsland. There is a continuum in capsule mo
rphology between the three-fruited subspecies, pseudoglobulus and bico
stata. Subspecies globulus intergrades with these three-fruited interm
ediates. Three-fruited intergrade populations occurring north and sout
h of the range of core pseudoglobulus can be differentiated and probab
ly represent intergrades between pseudoglobulus and bicostata and betw
een pseudoglobulus and globulus respectively. Reports of bicostata in
the Furneaux Group and southern Victoria are thus probably erroneous a
nd result from convergence in capsule morphology. The previously descr
ibed taxon E. stjohnii (R. T. Bak.) R. T. Bak. is part of the continuu
m between subspecies pseudoglobulus and bicostata, but closer to pseud
oglobulus. Populations phenotypically intermediate between and signifi
cantly different from globulus and the three-fruited intergrades are h
ighly variable and occur in western Tasmania, on the northern end of F
linders Island, in the Otway Ranges and in west Gippsland. An isolated
population on Rodondo Island is highly variable and has closest affin
ities to pseudoglobulus despite being within the geographical range of
core globulus. The population from King Island is intermediate betwee
n the Otway phenotype and core globulus. The climatic regimes of the s
ubspecies are markedly different and most three-fruited and globulus i
ntergrade populations have closer climatic affinities to pseudoglobulu
s and globulus respectively. Hypotheses relating to the origin of the
pattern of variation in E. globulus are discussed.