184 



REMARKS. This species occurs on the Blue Aiountains, forming low scrub along with E. obtusiflnnt, 

 The thick narrow leaves with their almost invisible veins, the smaller fruit, differently shaped buds, and the 

 valuable oil obtainable from the leaves distinguish it from that species. It is probably the E. dumosa, A. Cunn., 

 of the Blue Mountains, mentioned by Bentham, Fl. Aust. ii, p. 230, as that species does not occur in the Coastal 

 Ranges of X.S.\V. The " Mallee" at Berrima coal-mine, morphologically similar to E. stricta, Sieb., differs from the 

 Blue Mountain E. stricta, in the chemical constituents of its oil, and the venation of the leaves, and is here regarded 

 as a separate species, under the name of E. apicu'ala, R.T.B. & H.G.S. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Wentworth, N.S.W., in May, 1899. The yield of oil was 0-5 per 

 cent. The crude oil was reddish-brown in colour, and had the characteristic 

 odour of those belonging to the cineol-pinene class. It was rich in cineol, 

 contained a small quantity of-pinene, but phellandrene was absent. Crystallised 

 eudes'mol was detected at the time of distillation. Ninety-one per cent, of the oil 

 distilled below 183 C., so that constituents of high boiling point were only present 

 in small quantity, and the esters were also small in amount. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-9246 ; rotation a D 0-35 ; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4654, and was soluble in ij volumes 70 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 2-5. 



On rectification 3 per cent, distilled below 172 C. (corr.). This portion 

 contained rather a large amount of volatile aldehydes. Between 172-183, 88 

 per cent, distilled, and between 183-200, 4 per cent, distilled. 



The large fraction had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-9213 ; and rotation 



1-1. 



The cineol, determined by the phosphoric acid method in the large fraction, 

 was 64 per cent., indicating about 58 per cent, in the crude oil (O.M.). 



The laevo-rotation was due to the presence of aromadrendral. The reason 

 the large fraction shows a higher rotation to the left than does the crude oil is 

 due to the influence of the dextro-rotatory eudesmol. 



This species produces an excellent cineol-pinene oil, and it is unfortunate 

 the yield is so low. 



This sample of oil had been stored in the dark, and in October, 1919, was 

 again analysed. Not much alteration was observed except that the oil had 

 become a little richer in cineol, and had become inactive. 92 per cent, dis- 

 tilled below 190 C. The crude oil and the rectified portion gave the following 

 results : 



Crude oil, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-9260 ; rotation nil ; refractive index at 



20 = 1-4630. 

 Large fraction ,, ,, = 0-9160; rotation a D - 0-6; refractive 



index at 20 = 1-4610. 



The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the large fraction, 

 and calculated for the crude oil ; the result was 80 per cent. By the rapid phos- 

 phoric acid method it was 66 per cent, when calculated for the crude oil. 



