122 



62. Eucalyptus resinifera. 



(Sm. in White's Voy., _'.;i ; in Trans. Linn. Soc., iii, 284.) 

 Red or Forest Mahogany. 



Systematic. — A tall forest tree extending throughout nearly the whole 

 range of the coast district of New South Wales into Southern Queensland. Leaves 

 lanceolate, rather large and broad, thick, drying a light green colour on both 

 sides ; venation faint, the lateral veins almost transverse and parallel, the intra- 

 marginal vein close to the edge. Umbels axillary, stalk compressed, number of 

 flowers varying up to twelve in an umbel. Buds pedicellate. Calyx hemi- 

 spherical ; operculum conical (sometimes several lines long), or hemispherical and 

 acuminate. 



Fruit.— Hemispherical ; rim flat or slightly round ; 

 valves acutely acuminate, well exserted ; 

 usually about 3 lines in diameter. 



The truncate rim and the sharp exsertei valvzs are 



characteristic, and are tks best guides in identifying 



the tree. E. dealbata is mw.h the sami shape, but 

 smaller. 



Habitat. — The Coast district of New South Wales and 

 Queensland. 



REMARKS. — One of the largest forest trees of N.S.W. The common name has been given to it in 

 allusion to the timber somewhat resembling the Honduras Mahogany. On a cortical classification, it would be 

 placed in the " Stringybarks , " as its bark is much more stringy than many Eucalypts known by that name. 

 The fruits are characteristic, the hemispherical shape and flat rim being constant. The variety grandiflora, of 

 Bentham (B.F1. iii, 246), is, in this work, raised to its original specific rank of E. hemilampra, F.v.M. We find that 

 E. resinifera presents little or no variation of form throughout its geographical distribution, and the present supposed 

 varieties will no doubt be found to be good species under the original names of E. spectabilis, F.v.M., and E. pellita, 

 F.v.M. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. — Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Gosford, New South Wales, in May, 1897. The yield of oil was 

 0-42 per cent. The crude oil was dark lemon in colour, and had an odour 

 resembling those of the cineol-pinene class. The oil was rich in cineol, but did 

 not contain phellandrene ; the low-boiling terpene was pinene. Only a small 

 quantity of high-boiling constituents was present, consequently the specific 

 gravity was somewhat low. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-9098 ; rotation a D + 2-25° ; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4698, and was soluble in if volumes 70 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 9-2. 



On rectification the usual amount of acid water with rather an excess of 

 aldehydes came over below 170 C. Between 170-183 , 87 per cent, distilled; 

 and 7 per cent, between 1 83-245 °. These fractions gave the following :— 

 First fraction sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-9072; rotation <z D 4- - - 45°- 

 Second ,, ,, = 0-9168; ,, not taken. 



The cineol determined in the crude oil by the phosphoric acid method 

 was 50 per cent. (O.M.). A precipitate formed in the crude oil on keeping, as do 

 many of the oils belonging to this class. (See the article on this deposit.) 



