290 



156, Eucalyptus coriacea. 



(A. Gunn., Schau., in Walp. Rep., Li, 925.) 



(Syn. E. pauciflora, Sieb.) 



Cabbage or White Gum. 



Systematic. — A tall tree in favourable situations, but is found in a dwarf 

 form on Mount Kosciusko, Snowy Mountains, N.S.W. Bark clean, white, and 

 smooth, hence called " White Gum." Leaves lanceolate, comparatively large, thick, 

 acuminating into a recurved point, falcate, sometimes over 9 inches long and 1^ 

 inch wide; venation often obscured, lateral veins very oblique and almost 

 parallel to the mid-rib, giving the leaf a several-nerved appearance. Peduncles 

 axillary, varying in length up to 6 lines, flattened or terete, bearing few flowers, 

 shortly pedicellate or sessile. Calyx 3 lines long, pear-shaped ; operculum hemi- 

 spherical, depressed or conical, but obtuse. 



Fruit.— Pear-shaped, contracted at the rim, which is 

 either broad and truncate, or thin and 

 countersunk ; valves not exserted ; 4 to 6 

 lines in diameter. 



These fruits resemble these of E. vitrea, and also 

 E. ovata. 



Habitat. — Coast district, but chiefly on the Tableland, New 

 South Wales. This (strictly speaking) mountain 

 species extends from the New England Ranges into 

 Victoria and South Australia. 



REMARKS. — It has a clean white stem, and is conspicuous in the landscape. The thick leathery leaves, 

 fruit, and timber differentiate it from /;'. stellulata, Sieb., E. vitrea, R.T.B., 4c., species having a somewhat similar 

 venation. The timber is hard, pale-coloured, but seasons badly, and is little valued, being subject to gum veins. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. — Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Ilford, N.S.W'., in July, 1898. The yield of oil was 0-45 per cent. 

 The crude oil was light yellowish-brown in colour, and had a peppermint odour, 

 due to the presence of a small quantity of piperitone. Much phellandrene was 

 present, but pinene only in small amount. A very small quantity of cineol was 

 detected in the first fraction. The higher-boiling portion consisted largely of 

 the sesquiterpene, together with eudesmol. Esters were not pronounced. The 

 oil of this species differs greatly from that of E. phlcbophyUa, a species which 

 has botanical features similar to those of E. coriacea. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15° C. = 0-8947 ; rotation a„ - 29-3° ; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4845, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent, alcohol. 

 The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 4-6. 



On rectification, 1 per cent, distilled below 174 C. (corr.). Between 



174-188 , 63 per cent, distilled; between 188-204 , 13 per cent, came over, and 

 between 204-280 , 19 per cent, distilled. These fractions gave the following 

 results : — 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15° C. = 0-8676 ; rotation <?„ - 30-3°. 



Second ,, ,, ,, = 0-8750; ,, not taken. 



Third ,, ,, „ =0-9380; ,, not taken. 



