278 



Besides the above material sent by the Museum collector, we also received 

 the leaves of the " Black Peppermint," from Scottsdale, Tasmania, forwarded 

 by Mr. A. H. Higgs (6th March, 1912). This material gave a yield of oil equal to 

 2-32 per cent. 



The crude oil had the following characters : Specific gravity at 15 C. = 

 0-8765; rotation a D - - 42-9; refractive index at 20 = 1-4796; soluble in 5 

 volumes 80 per cent, alcohol'; had saponification number for esters and free 

 acid = 2-9, and contained 20 per cent, cineol, by the resorcinol method. 



On rectification, 80 per cent, distilled between 174-193 C., and 13 percent, 

 between 193-262. The fractions gave the following results : 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-8599; rotation D - 53-2; refractive 



index at 20 = 1-4770. 

 Second ,, = 0-9092; rotation a D - 7-1; refractive 



index at 20 = 1-4927. 



The oil distilled from the leaves of the " Black Peppermint " of Tasmania, 

 E. amygdalina, from material all over the island, is thus seen to have considerable 

 uniformity in composition. 



The results of this investigation were published by us in the Proc Roy. Soc., 

 Tasmania, October, 1912. 



757. EuCalyptUS amygdalina, var. nitida, Benth. 



(B. Fl. iii, 203.) 



Systematic. The data given under E. phellandra applies in almost every 

 particular to this species, so that no systematic description is required. 



As the cineol content is very low, it is thought that for industrial as well 

 as for scientific purposes, this variety had better be upheld. 



So far it has only been collected by us at Blackheath, Katoomba, Mt. 

 Victoria, in the Blue Mountains, and Lithgow, New South Wales. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 collected at Blackheath, N.S.W., in September, 1919. The yield of oil was 2-6 

 per cent. The crude oil was of a light lemon-yellow colour, and had an odour 

 somewhat resembling that of the "narrow-leaf peppermint" of the ranges. The 

 principal constituent was phellandrene, and pinene practically absent. Piperitone 

 appears to be absent, or if present can only be so in traces. Cineol was detected 

 in very small amount. Eudesmol was found by crystallisation, and geraniol 

 was also shown to occur. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. == 0-8665 .' rotation a D 4574 ; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4805, and was insoluble in 10 volumes 80 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 6-2, and in 

 the cold with two hours' contact it was 3-9. 



A portion was acetylated in the usual way ; the saponification number 

 for this acetylated oil was 40-7, and in the cold with two hours' contact, it was 

 22-7. Taking the free alcohols as consisting of eudesmol and geraniol only, 

 this result shows that about 5-3 per cent, of geraniol, and 4-8 per cent, of eudesmol 

 were present in the crude oil of this Eucalypt. 



