150 A RESEARCH ON THE EUCALYPTS OF TASMANIA 



oil of the leaves, because the trees were not in flower at this 

 time of the year. The oil of E. acervula does not agree 

 entirely in general characters with that of E . paludosa of 

 New South Wales, as the former contains phellandrene and 

 not much pinene, while the principal constituent in the oil 

 of E . paludosa is pinene, and phellandrene does not appear 

 to occur in it. The esters, too, were not identical in com- 

 position. It contained, however, about the same amount 

 of eucalyptol as that of E. acervula, and the paraffin 

 stearoptene was also found in it, but in much smaller 

 quantity. The two species may therefore be considered to 

 be closely related. 



The specific gravity of the crude oil at 15^ C. = 0*8956; 

 rotation &i) ~ — 1'1°,; refractive index at 18*^ = 1'4756; 

 and it was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent, alcohol, but 

 became turbid with 4 volumes, and remained turbid with 

 further addition of alcohol in the cold, forming a flocculent 

 precipitate on standing. On warming the turbid solution 

 it became clear, but the substance was deposited again on 

 cooling. 



The saponification number of the esters and free acid 

 was 32"8 by boiling, and 21*4 in the cold with two hours' 

 contact, this represents 7'5 per cent, of geranyl-acetate in 

 the crude oil, and 4 per cent, of another ester if calculated 

 for an alcohol having a similar molecular weight. The 

 odour of geraniol in the separated oil, after saponifica- 

 tion, was most distinct and well marked, and although the 

 amount of oil at our disposal did not permit of its separa- 

 tion and purification, yet there is no doubt of its identity, 

 particularly as geraniol and geranyl-acetate are such com- 

 mon constituents in certain classes of Eucalyptus oils. 



The amount of free geraniol in the oil was considerable ; 

 and another undetermined alcohol was also present. A 

 portion of the crude oil was boiled for two hours with 

 acetic anhydride and anhydrous sodium-acetate in the 

 usual way. The separated oil was somewhat mobile, and 

 had a marked odour of geranyl-acetate. The saponifica- 

 tion number with this esterised oil by boiling was 105'3, 

 and in the cold with two hours' contact 69"5. This latter 

 figure represents 24'3 per cent, of ester as geranyl-acetate, 

 and indicates that 13"2 per cent, of free geraniol was 

 present in the oil, as well as 6' 6 per cent, of another 

 alcohol, assumed to have the same molecular weight. 



It is worthy of notice that over 50 years ago, when this 

 species was described by Hooker in his " Flora Tas- 

 maniae," he remarked that " The bruised foliage has a 



