Eucalyptus globulus  (formerly Eucalyptus gigantea ), also known as the Tasmanian blue gum or southern blue gum, is an evergreen tree native to Tasmania and Victoria, Australia. It is widely cultivated for its hard durable timber, and also Eucalyptus oil which is produced from the leaves. For some years I have been an enthusiastic user of polarised light microscopy as a technique for revealing detail and information about natural history subjects.

Many botanical specimens give particularly good results with this technique, which has been used since Victorian times in the examination of wood structure.

Highly Commended - Macro Art