68 



26. Eucalyptus Blaxlandi. 



(J II M. & Kill., Roy. Soc., N.S.W., 1918, p. 495; Desc, in Proc. Linn. Soc, 

 N.S.W., i<)"5, p. 193, under I . capitella a 



Systematic— A tree of medium size, bark not typically stringy, but inclined 

 to that (it " Peppermint." Abnormal leaves ovate-lanceolate, margins undulate 

 and with a reddish rim when fresh ; young branchlets and foliage roi.gh, owing 

 to presence of stellate hairs. Normal leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 

 unequal at the base, thick, coriaceous, acuminate; venation indistinct, intra- 

 marginal vein not far removed from the edge, lateral veins inclined at about 

 30 to the mid-rib. Flowers in heads of about ten, borne on thick, angular 

 peduncles, varying up to 1 inch in length. Buds clavate ; calyx tube pyriform, 

 2 to 3 lines long; operculum compressed, hemispherical, obtuse. 



Fruit.— Sessile, compressed, hemispherical; rim 

 broad, domed; valves exserted ; about 4 

 lines long and 6 lines in diameter. 



The fruits cannot be separated in herbarium material 

 from those oj E. capitellata. 



Habitat. -Blue Mountains, Blackheath, Mount York, Wombeyan 

 Caves, New England, New South Wales ; Gipps- 

 land, Victoria. 



REMARKS. -It requires a field knowledge of the bark> and a chemical test of the oils to differentiate 

 the species from E. capitellata, as the two arc very closely related. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. — Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 collected at Blackheath, N.S.W., in April, 1914. The yield of oil was 0-83 per 

 cent. The crude oil was of a dark-amber colour, and had a pronounced 

 turpentine-like odour. Pinene was present in considerable quantity, hut phel- 

 landrene was absent. Cineol was present, but esters were in small amount, and 

 eudesmol not detected. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = o-888i ; rotation a D + n-o°; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4653, and was soluble in 6 volumes 80 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 4-8. After 

 acetylation the value was 63-4, and in the cold with two hours' contact, 48-8. 

 The esterised oil was particularly aromatic. 



On rectification, 1 per cent, distilled below 158 C. (corr.\ Between 

 158-172 , 77 per cent, distilled; and between 172-188 , 14 per cent, came over. 

 The thermometer then rose quicklv to 257 , between which temperature and 

 267 , 3 per cent, distilled. These fractions gave the following results :— 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. — 0-8794; rotation a D + 11-2°; refractive 



index at 20 = 1-4642. 

 Second ,, ,, ,, — 0-9025; rotation a„ -h 8-5° ; refractive index 



at 20° = 1-4644. 

 Third ,, ,, ,, = 0-9364; rotation not taken; refractive 



index at 20° = 1-4949. 



