107 



102. Eucalyptus melliodora. 



(A. Cunn., Herb.) 

 Yellow Box. 



Systematic. Generally a fair-sized tree. Bark persistent, smooth, and 

 buff-coloured, or sometimes rugged towards the base; of a rich yellow colour 

 on the inner side. Abnormal leaves oval, or ovate-lanceolate, thin, variable 

 in size ; venation faintly marked, lateral veins parallel, distant, intramarginal 

 vein much removed from the edge. Normal leaves lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 

 under 6 inches long ; venation rot well marked except the intramarginal vein, 

 which is removed from the edge, and is so distinct at the base as to give a trinerved 

 appearance to the leaf; dry a pale yellow colour. Peduncles short, axillary, 

 slender, with about six flowers in the umbel. Calyx scarcely 2 lines in diameter, 

 conical, on a pedicel of about 2 lines; operculum short, hemispherical, obtuse. 



Fruit. Mostly hemispherical, but occasionally pyri- 

 form ; rim thin, sometimes with a constric- 

 tion immediately below it ; valves not 

 exserted ; under 3 lines in diameter. 



The fruits, with the strongly-marked rim which 

 sometimes becomes detached, much resemble E. Black- 

 burniana and E. Laseroni, whilst the other form 

 approaches in shape E. odorata or E. paniculata. 



Habitat. Tableland from Queensland into Victoria. 



REMARKS.- The common name " Yellow I5ox " appears to be uniformly applied to this tree, both in New 

 South Wales and Victoria. It derives its vernacular name from (i) the yellowish appearance of the inner surface 

 of the bark; (2) the timber, which is hard, close, interlocked, and pale yellow coloured, and very durable. It is 

 highly prized as fuel. It is a very distinct species, and no better example could be quoted of specific characters of 

 the Genus than is illustrated in this widely -distributed Eucalyptus, for its botanical characters show little variation , 

 whatever the environment may be. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Rylstone, N.S.W., in April, 1898. The yield of oil was 0-87 per 

 cent. The crude oil was red in colour, and had an odour resembling the cineol- 

 pinene oils generally. The presence of volatile aldehydes was also shown. The 

 oil was rich in cineol, and when rectified was almost colourless, and, as a cineol- 

 pinene oil, of very fair quality, although the specific gravity was remarkably low, 

 and in this did not reach the standard for specific gravity (0-91) as laid down 

 by the British Pharmacopoeia. This low specific gravity of the oil fiom this 

 species is perhaps partly due to the time of the ye?r when distilled, and also to the 

 presence of a small quantity of phellandrene present in the oil. This species is 

 probably one of the links that connect the phellandrene-bearing oils with those 

 belonging to the more pronounced cineol-pinene groups. That this tendency is 

 in the direction of the phellandrene group of Eucalyptus oils, is indicated by 

 the removal of the marginal vein far from the edge of the leaves, a character 

 which shows affinity with those species giving phellandrene-bearing oils. The 

 variation in specific gravity of Eucalyptus oils is largely governed by the amount 

 of high-boiling constituents present, and'for this reason the specific gravity of the 



