182 A RESEARCH ON THE EUCALYPTS OF TASMANIA 



It was probably this tree that gave Ilooker grounds for 

 the statement in his " Flora Tasmaniae," under "A'. 

 Gunnii " — " sometimes, however, solitary trees may be 

 found of much greater size, and so like E. viminulis, that 

 without fruit it is impossible to distinguish it from an 

 Alpine form of that species." 



Mr. L. G. Irby, when collecting in Tasmania, stated in 

 this connection that this form could always be distin- 

 guished from normal Gunnii in having longer leaves and 

 a pale or ashy-coloured bark agreeing with ^\ viminnlis, 

 whilst F. Gunnii has a blotched appearance. 



Chemistry. 



Essential Oil. — This material for distillation was 

 obtained at Hobart in April, 1912. It consisted of the 

 leaves and terminal branchlets, collected as would be done 

 for commercial purposes. The crude oil was of an olive- 

 brown colour, was fairly rich in eucalyptol, contained 

 pinene, and resembled in appearance and constitution the 

 oils of the pinene-eucalyptol group, with the exception 

 that a small amount of phellandrene was present. This 

 terpene appears to be a constant constituent in the oil of 

 E. viminalis, and helps to distinguish the normal form 

 from closely related species. A considerable quantity of 

 high boiling constituents was present, consisting largely 

 of the sesquiterpene. The oil is in consequence somewhat 

 insoluble in alcohol. The results obtained with the oil 

 agree most closely with those recorded in the " Research 

 on the Eucalypts " for E. viminalis of New South Wales, 

 showing the Tasmanian trees to be identical with those on 

 the mainland, and thus supporting botanical indications. 



The average yield of oil was 0'741 per cent. The 

 specific gravity at 15^0. = 0*9154 ; rotation a^ = 

 + 4-20 ; refractive index at 19^ = 1-4711; and was sol- 

 uble in 1 volume 80 per cent, alcohol. 



On rectification, the usual amount of acid water and 

 objectionable volatile aldehydes came over below 167° C. 

 (corr.), at which temperature the oil commenced to distil. 

 Between 167-1730 22 per cent, distilled; between 173-1940 

 54 per cent, distilled; and between 194-269° 20 per cent, 

 (the greater portion above 2550C.). These fractions gave 

 the following results : — 



Sp. Gr. at D * *• o Re^- Index 



16° C. Rotation ajj ^^^^o 



First fraction 0-8969 ... -fll-5° ... 1*4628 



Second fraction ... 0.9088 ... +3-4° ... 14629 



Third fraction 0*9308 ... +4-1 ... 1*4932 



