216 PROCEEDINGS OP TTIE ROYAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND. 



examples, such as tliat pi'ovided by a species of Cnjptocanja, 

 tlity simulate the corrugations of a washing-board. This 

 Avrinlded surface has so far been observed in the following 

 species of Sapinclacece: — Native tamarind (Dlploglottis 

 CiiiuiijighiDiiii), Cupania xylocarpa, Ratonia pijriformis, 1\. 

 tinax, corduroy {li. silpitata, Avrinkles prominent), small 

 tamarind (Nepheliuiii Latilcrfriaiuon, wrinkles prominent), 

 NephcUu))i soniglancuin, IIet€vod< ndron olcopfolium, and 

 H. diversi folium. The Lauraceous trees which exliibit this 

 peculiarity are few in number. One <>f them is an undeter- 

 mined spi^cies of ('fijptocarya (referred to above) from 

 Eungella Range, which is the only locality in which the 

 wi'inklcd surface has so far been observed in Laurincce. 



Occurrence of BlacJ,- Wood (Ebouy) in Queensland 

 Ebenacecc.— The species of the natural order Ehenaceci', of 

 which there is a considerable number in our rain forests, 

 very frecjuently contain patches, streaks, or specks of black 

 wood similar in appearance to the ebony of commerce 

 (.species of Diospf/ros and Maha). These black patches, 

 streaks, or specks have been observed in the following 

 species of the order in Queensland: — Maha hunt His, M. 

 geminata, 31. fasciculosa, M. reticulata, black myrtle {M. 

 sericocarpa), Diospjjros pentaniera, and Z). Jiehecarpa. In 

 Maha Juonilis, which is known as native ebony, the black 

 wood is developed in fairly large (piantities. Solereder" 

 states that the black colour of ebony is due to black or In-own 

 contents present in the wood vessels and in the lumina of 

 the wood prosenchyma ; that Belohoubek has shown that 

 part of the black contents is soluble in caustic potash, and 

 is due to humic acid whilst the part insoluble in alkalies 

 consists essentially of carbon ; and that IMolisch had shown 

 earlier that the black contents arise by a process of 

 liumification from a gum i>resent in the cell lumen. 



Trees tvith Very Soft Woods. — The giant stinging tree 

 [Laportca fjigas), glossy-leaved stinging tree (Laportea 

 piiotiniphylla), flame tree {Brachychiton acerifolium), 

 scrub bottle {Brachychiton discolor) and the Queensland 

 bottle tree {Brachychiton rupestre), which is sometimes 

 found in the light rain forests, have very soft, i)orous woods. 

 The woods of Panax elegans and P. Murrayi are also soft, 

 but not to the same degree as those of the stinging trees. 



' Solereder, ' ' Systematic Anatomy of the Dicotyledons, ' ' trans. 

 Boodle and Fritseli, revised T>. H. Scott, Vol. I, p. ,518 (1908). 



