CINXAMOMUMS OF AUSTRALIA. 247 



"The first of these is obtained from the leaves of Cinnamomuni 'I'amala. 

 which is a tree of medium size common in southern Asia ; it yields Mutterzimt, 

 Cassia Lignea or wood cassia. In former years the leaves were met with in 

 commerce as Folia Malabathri, but this is no longer the case, though they 

 are still used medicinally in the East Indies. The essential oil obtained from 

 them is lemon-yellow in colour, and possesses a clove-like slightly peppery 

 ■odour. The sp. gr. at 15 C. is 1.0257. The oil possesses a high eugenol 

 content, and is thus allied closely to the ordinary oil from Ceylon cinnamon 

 leaves." 



The evidence from trees examined is therefore, that C. Tamala 

 is not a camphor yielding species. 



The barks certainly are quite distinct, for this species has a 

 strong aromatic camphor yielding bark, whilst camphor is not found 

 in C. Tamala. Surely this is a specific difference. 



C. Oliveri, Bail. — If ever there was a distinct species this is one, 

 and it is difficult to understand why Ewart should even suggest that it 

 should be included under C. Tamala in view of the marked specific 

 characters it possesses. In comparing — 



(1) The leaves. C. Tamala has a coriaceous brownish leaf and 



is most pronouncedly trinerved with transverse secon- 

 dary veins; in fact, I doubt if it was not this particular 

 venation that led to the apphcation of the name to fossil 

 leaves. 

 C. Oliveri has a leaf with an entirely different venation, and 

 is certainly not trinerved, faintly penninerved more 

 correctly expresses this leaf feature; in fact, no two 

 leaves could be more unhke in this character, neither 

 are the leaves always opposite, whilst the edges are free 

 from nerves. 



(2) Bark (general, vide also infra). Here we have two diame- 

 trically opposite barks in structure and essential oil. C. Tamala 

 has a thin, rather unpleasant, faintly odorous bark. C. Oliveri has 

 a thick, strongly aromatic bark yielding an oil quite distinct from 

 any other Cinnamomum yet examined, and Mr. Smith's chemical 

 results are given in the paper on the Cinnamomums of N S.W. [loc. 

 ciL), and naturally the two differ microscopically. 



Again, that C. Oliveri is not C. Tamala is further demonstrated 

 by differences in the chemical constituents of the leaf oils, for, as 

 previously stated, Schimmel & Co. loc. cit. show C. Tamala to con- 

 sist of 78 per cent, of Eugenol and to contain the terpene phellan- 

 drene, but no mention of the presence of ordinary camphor is made. 

 Mr. Henry G. Smith of this Museum states : — 



"The leaf oil of Cinnamomum Oliveri has less than half of one per cent. 

 oi Eugenol ; contains much camphor which is identical with the camphor 

 of commerce, together with cineol and pinene. The terpene phellandrene 

 does not occur. The presence of camphor in quantity in the leaf oil shows 

 C Oliveri to be more closely related chemically to C. officinalis than to C, 

 Tamala, a species with which its affinities are not at all close chemically." 



C. virens, R.T.B. — ^The specific characters of this species, such 

 as leaf venation, enlarged calyx, bark and timber, place it beyond 

 confounding with C. Tamala or any other described species; all 

 these features are given in the loc. cit. together with a figure. 



