I ! 



12. Eucalyptus saligna, var. pallidivalvis. 



(R.T.B. & H.G.S., in Euc. and their Ess. Oils, ist Edit. 1*902, p. 32.) 



Flooded Gum. 



Systematic. — The herbarium material of this tree is altogether coarser 

 than that of its allied species E. saligna. The leaves are large and broad, and 

 generally dry a fresh, green colour, with a whiteness near the mid-rib, and a 

 pale under surface. Branchlets angled. Peduncles flattened, about 6 lines 

 long, bearing generally over six flowers, pedicel 4 lines long. Calyx 2 lines in 

 diameter, tapering into the pedicel ; operculum hemispherical, acuminate. 



Fruit.— Uniformly pear-shaped, on a short thick 

 pedicel, or sessile, glaucous, sometimes angled ; 

 rim thin, and countersunk ; valves exserted, 

 mostly obtuse (only exceptionally acute as 

 shown in fig. ) , white ; about 3 lines i n diameter. 



Habitat. — Coastal districts of New South Wales and Queensland. 



REMARKS. — It has been customary in the past to include botanically under the species (E. saligna) two 

 trees known vernacularly as " Blue " and " Flooded " Gum respectively, but in this work the two are separated. 

 the latter being placed as a variety of the former under the varietal name of pall The timbers of the two 



are only distinct as regards texture. The fruits of the variety are fairly constant throughout the area of distribu- 

 tion — the exserted white valves and glaucous calyx being very characteristic. As its physical characters 

 connect it so closely to E. saligna we prefer to let it remain as a variety. 



Mr. Maiden has raised it to specific rank, under the name of E. grandis, Proc. Roy. Soc, N.S W., vol. lii., 

 p. 501. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. — Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Lismore, N.S.W., in July, 1900. The yield of oil was 0-26 per 

 cent. The crude oil was dark red in colour, due to the action of the phenols 

 on the iron derived from the still. It had a strong and somewhat unpleasant 

 odour, evidently due to the presence of aldehydes, acids, and esters. The 

 principal constituent of this oil is dextro-rotatory pinene, proved by its chemical 

 reactions. A small quantity of cineol was detected, but less than 5 per cent, in 

 the second fraction. Esters were present in some quantity, one of which was the 

 valeric acid ester. Phellandrene does not occur in this oil, but free alcohols are 

 present. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-8921 ; rotation not taken, 

 the oil being too dark; refractive index at 20 = 1-4703, and was soluble in 

 7 volumes 80 per cent, alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and 

 free acid was 28-9. 



On rectification 2 c.c. distilled below 155 C. (corr.). Between 155-167 , 

 67 per cent, distilled; between 167-224 , 18 per cent, came over; and between 

 224-258 , 7 per cent, distilled, which was very acid. These fractions gave the 

 following results : — 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-8723; rotation a D + 32-4 . 



Second ., ,, ,, =0-9001; ,, 4- 20-5°. 



Third ,, ,, ,, = 0-9447- ,, not taken. 



