301 



162. Eucalyptus gomphocephala. 



. (D.C., in Prod., iii, 220, 1828.) 



Tuart. 



Systematic. -A large tree, up to 150 feet in height, and 20 feet in girth, 

 with a smooth or rough " Box-like " persistent bark. Abnormal leaves ovate, 

 lanceolate, petiolate. Normal leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate or sometimes 

 narrow lanceolate, falcate, acuminate, mostly under 6 inches in length, shining; 

 venation not distinct in the older leaves, intramarginal vein sometimes well removed 

 but often quite close to the edge, lateral veins fine, at about 45 to the mid-rib. 

 Peduncles axillary or lateral, thick, broad and flat, 6 to 9 lines long, bearing two 

 to six flowers. Buds sessile or shortly pedicellate ; calyx tube obovoid 4 to 5 

 lines long; operculum hemispherical to conoidal, usually bluntly pointed much 

 broader than the tube. 



Fruit. Sessile, bell-shaped or cylindrical, sometimes 

 slightly flanged ; rim broad, slightly counter- 

 sunk to convex ; valves exserted ; 7 to 8 

 lines in length and 6 lines broad 



Mueller's figure stands quite alone in shape in 

 his " Eucalyptographia." The fruit figured here is the 

 most common form. It resembles somewhat E. obusta 

 or E. patcntinervis without a pedicel. 



Habitat. Coastal limestone belts between Perth and Busselton, 

 Western Australia. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Material of this species was forwarded from Western 

 Australia for distillation in May, 1904. It was obtained from trees growing 

 in the sandy flat country around Perth. The yield of oil was small, less than 

 two ounces of oil being obtained from over 400 pounds of material, collected as 

 would be done for commercial distillation, so that the yield did not exceed 0-03 

 per cent. Such a small amount of oil did not permit of a complete investigation ; 

 it is evident however, that this species of Eucalyptus has no value as an oil- 

 producing tree as the constituents are of no special value. 



The crude oil was reddish in colour, was quite mobile, and had a rank un- 

 pleasant odour. It was largely a terpene oil, as is suggested from the low specific 

 gravity and insolubility in alcohol. An acetic acid ester was present, and this 

 was almost entirely saponified in the cold with two hours' contact. The alcohol 

 was probably geraniol, as the oil after saponification had an aromatic odour 

 suggesting that substance. Cineol could not be detected. Phellandrene was 

 present, as was also pinene, and probably terpinene also. The phellandrene 

 nitrosite was prepared and this melted at 112 C. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-8759; rotation a D 10-2; 

 refractive index at 20 = i 4758, and was insoluble in 10 volumes 80 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 25-7. 



It would be interesting to determine whether the abnormal leaves contain 

 a more abundant supply of oil than the mature leaves, as it is not an infrequent 

 occurrence with some Eucalyptus species for the secretion of the oil to practically 

 cease in the old leaves. This is the only species we have received from Western 

 Australia the oil of which contained phellandrene. 



