55 



edge, lateral veins fairly distinct. Petiole varying from ^ to I inch long. 

 Umbels axillary, bearing about five to seven flowers; stalks flattened, under i 

 inch long, stalklet varying from 3 to 8 lines long ; operculum hemispherical, 

 shortly acuminate. Calyx not angular. Stamens all fertile, inflexed in the 

 bud ; anthers divergent from the very prominent connective which surmounts 

 them. 



Fruit. Hemispherical, pedicellate ; rim either slightly 

 inclined outwards, truncate, or quite 

 domed; incised ring just below the lower 

 edge ; valves exserted ; varying in diameter 

 from 3 to 6 lines. 



The domed fruit form resembles somewhat that of 

 E. macrorhyncha. 



Habitat. On basaltic outcrops in the Coastal Mountain Ranges ; 

 Nulla Mountain, Rylstone, Never Never Mountain, 

 Gulf Road, Black Mountain, Tenterfield, Uralla, 

 Armidale, New South Wales; and Lilydale, Yarra 

 Junction, Victoria. 



REMARKS. This tree has always been regarded by local residents of the districts where it occurs as quite 

 distinct from any of the other " Stringybark " trees in the Rylstone district, owing to its peculiar bark and tough 

 wood, and the glinting of the leaves in the sun, which makes them appear glaucous, and hence its vernacular name 

 of " Silver-top Stringybark." When seen growing in its native habitat, it somewhat resembles E. macrorhyncha, 

 F.v.M., and the mature fruits with the domed rim and well-exserted valves might perhaps lead one to diagnose it 

 as that species, from which it differs principally in its hard, durable timber, and nature of the bark, as well as in its 

 operculum, calyx tube, oblique leaves, and in the chemical character of its oil. Except for the domed fruits, there 

 is little to connect it botanically with E. macrorhyncha, F.v.M., a species the leaves of which yield (i) the dye 

 myrticolorin, (2) an oil, rich in the stearoptene eudesmol, and also cineol. These bodies are absent from the leaves 

 of this particular Eucalypt, and the oil is almost entirely composed of laevo-rotatory pinene. It differs from 

 E. dextropinea, R.T.B., in the shape of its fruits, the superior quality of its timber, and the presence of a laavo -rotatory 

 pinene in its essential oil. From an economic point of view the confounding of this tree with E. macrorhyncha, 

 F.v.M., would be fatal to the establishment of an industry for the particular products for which each species is 

 suitable. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Nulla Mountain, Rylstone, N.S.W., in August, 1898. The yield 

 of oil was 0-66 per cent. The crude oil was red in colour and had a turpentine- 

 like odour. Phellandrene was absent, and cineol only present in small amount, 

 about, 8 or 10 per cent. The oil consisted very largely of pinene, which was 

 highly laevo-rotatory, and it contained a smaller amount of esters than were 

 present in the oil of E. dextropinea. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-8755; rotation a D - 

 37-8; refractive index at 20 = 1-4704, and was scarcely soluble in 10 volumes 

 80 per cent, alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid 

 was 7-0. 



On rectification i per cent, distilled below 157 C. (corr.). Between 

 157-164, 60 per cent, distilled; and between 164-172, 28 per cent, came over. 

 These fractions gave the following results : 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-8699 ; rotation D 40-66. 

 Second ' =0-8748; -38-75- 



The cineol was only present in small amount, and could not be determined 

 quantitatively at that time. 



For the further determination of the terpene, see the article in this work 

 on " The Pinenes of Eucalyptus Oils." 



