380 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION B. 
to the natural order AWe/iacee.* It is an interior species, and is 
found in New South Wales and Queensland. Owing to the 
peculiar, and somewhat ornamental, spotted or blotched appear- 
ance of its bark, it is known as “spotted, or leopard tree.” It 
also bears the name of “‘ dogwood.” 
During the summer months large masses, of a clear amber 
colour, exude from the stem and branches. It makes good 
adhesive mucilage, has a pleasant taste, and is eaten by the 
aboriginals. It is commonly used by bushmen as a remedy in 
diarrhea. 
Two samples have been received at the Technological Museum, 
and the following is an account of them. In view of the scarcity of 
good gum-arabic, it would be a useful addition to our raw products 
if abundant supplies of it could be obtained. I have not heard 
of a gum being yielded by any other Australian species of 
Llindersta :— ’ 
SampiLe I.—From between the Lachlan and Darling Rivers, 
N.S.W. <A most valuable gum. It is in pieces as large as 
pigeons’ eggs, and I have seen a piece half as large as an emu-egg, 
clear and of excellent quality, with only a small portion of bark 
at the place of attachment to the tree. In parts of the interior 
it is said to be fairly abundant. In some cases it remains in the 
liquid state on the trees for some little time before hardening, or 
else exudes very rapidly, for it is frequently brought to Sydney in 
pieces as long as an ordinary earthworm, and of the same average 
ciameter. 
Tt dissolves readily and completely in cold water. It hardly 
appears to affect the transparency and absence of colour of pure 
water. In this respect it may be ranked very closely to picked 
Turkey gum-arabic. It possesses the faint cloudiness which an 
aqueous solution of gum-arabic soon assumes. 
Samp.e II.—From Tarella, near Wilcannia, New South Wales. 
This is by no means so pleasing-looking as the preceding sample. 
For the inost part it is dull and dirty-looking externally, as if 
the tree had been exposed to dust during its exudation. It is 
very brittle, and has a bright fracture. It is of a very pale 
colour (almost colourless, in fact), but the presence of the 
accidental impurity above alluded to reduces its value. This 
contamination is, however, probably rare. This gum appeared to 
most frequently exude from half-dead trees. 
Leopard-tree gum is, to all intents and purposes, a good gum- 
arabic. Its average composition may be readily seen from the 
following :— 
Arabin. Metarabin. Water. Ash. Total. 
Sample 1 yp ..4» 80°2), .....cnilaen lO: 9 q.. (2:76 eee 
Sample 9) hz, 80080 .:..9taild)soegllOrd. «102? Gone 
* Por a discussion on gums of this natural order, see a paper by the author, Proc. Linn. 
Soc. N.S. W., 1889. 
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