305 



REMARKS. -Until n.iuhim and \Voolls were in accord with Scliaucr in regarding tins tree as a distinct 

 species, but Mueller synonym ised it with /.'. tniivgilalina, Labill.. and this lias caused th latter species to lose much 

 ot its good name concern.) p. its economics, as. for instance, its oil. In a natural classification the two species never 

 can be confounded. The IMV.-S of /.'. t/u-c.-, are very variable in slnpe and size, being citliT sessile, opposite and 

 cordate or ovate-lanceolate on th'.' same tree. It also (lowers and fruits in a viry early stage "I its growth (5 to 6 

 feet), when the peduncles at the base of the cordate, sessile leaves, differentiate it from /.". amygdalina, whilst in 

 this latter feature it resembles the " Argyle Apple " (/:'. cinerea, F.v.M.) or E. pulverulenta- The early foliage is 

 also quite different from that of /:'. amygdalina. not to mention the nature of the bark, timber, and constituents of the 

 oil. It is, therefore, all the more dillieult to understand now, on morphological grounds, the two should have been 

 thought to be on and the same species. It is quite a distinct tree. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Pagan's Creek, Braidwood, N.S.W., in October, 1898. The 

 yield of oil was 1-96 per cent. The crude oil was almost colourless, and had a 

 strong peppermint odour, due to the large amount of piperitone it contained. It 

 consisted very largely of phellandrene. Cineo did not exceed 5 to 8 per cent, 

 in the crude oil. The third fraction consisted largely of the peppermint ketone, 

 piperitone. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. == 0-882 ; rotation a D - - 63-9; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4837, and was soluble in 2 volumes 80 per cent, 

 alcohol The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 2-9 



On rectification, 2 per cent, distilled below 172 C. (corr.). Between 

 172-198, 60 per cent, distilled; between 198-227, 13 per cent came over, and 

 between 227-240, 20 per cent, distilled. These fractions gave the following 

 results : 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. := 0-8593; rotation a D 73-8. 



Second ,, , ,, =0-8936; ,, not taken. 



Third = 0-9318; , * 9-4. 



Material of this species for distillation was also obtained from Barber's 

 Creek, N.S.W., in October, 1898. The yield of oil was 2-1 per cent. ; the crude oil 

 differed in no respect from the above sample, and this result is a good illustration 

 of the comparative constancy of constituents in the oil of the same species at the 

 same time of the year. The specific gravity of the crude oil was 0-882, and optical 

 rotation a D - 63-6. The crude oil formed a clear solution with i volume 

 80 per cent, alcohol, and the peppermint ketone, piperitone, was present in great 

 quantity in this sample. 



Material of this species for distillation was also obtained from Berrima, 

 N.S.W., in May, 1899. The yield of oil was 2-9 per cent. The specific gravity 

 of the crude oil was 0-8887, and optical rotation a D - - 55-8. It was in agree- 

 ment in all respects with those mentioned above, and formed a clear solution with 

 i volume 80 per cent, alcohol. 



Material of this species was also obtained from Rylstone, N.S.W., in August, 

 1898. The oil was practically identical with the above. 



During recent years, considerable quantities of the oil of this species have 

 been distilled in Australia. It is the best of all essential oils for use in the Mining 

 Industry for the separation of mineral sulphides by a flotation process, and as 

 the yield is large it can be produced somewhat cheaply. Previously the oil of 

 E. dives was forwarded to Europe as the product of E. amygdalina ; that this 

 is so can be seen from the study of the constants recorded in the older literature. 



The oil of E. dives shows a comparative constancy similar to those of 

 other individual Eucalypts, so that the species has now become stabilised. 



This subject is more fully treated in the article " The comparative con- 

 stancy of the oil products from individual species of Eucalyptus," 



