6 4 WATTLES AND WATTLE-BARKS. 



45. Acacia dealbata, Link, B.EL, iii, 415. 



"SILVER WATTLE." 



Some specimens from Quiedong, Bombala, N.S.W., yielded the author 

 21/22 per cent, of tannic acid and 39'86 per cent, of extract. They were 

 from trees 12 to 18 inches in diameter and 20 to 30 feet high, and were 

 grown on limestone country (Proc. E. 8., N.S.W., 1887, p. 92). A second 

 sample from the same district gave 17'1 per cent, of tannic acid and 39*3 

 per cent, of extract. These samples bear a general appearance to A. decurrens 

 bark, but they are much more rugged, and apparently from an old tree. 

 The barks form a rather fibrous powder. The whitish external layer common 

 in this species is almost absent. 



I have examined a sample from the Delegate Eiver, N.S.W., where the 

 trees are growing in the brush (rich jungle), in chocolate soil, attaining a 

 height of 60 to 100 feet, with a diameter of 1 to 2 feet. Bark collected in 

 April 1889, yielded the following April, 25'9 per cent, of tanuic acid and 

 45 '7 per cent, of extract. This has the general appearance of A. decurrens 

 bark, but is in layers, separable with a little difficulty, more fibrous, and has 

 the appearance of having been dusted on the outside with a white powder. 

 The whitish appearance does not rub off, and the stem looks as if it had 

 had a coat of lime wash. It is the work of a lichen. 



A perfectly smooth, thin, silvery or ash-grey bark, from near Penrith, 

 N.S.W., gave 24'13 per cent, of tannic acid and 47 '85 per cent, of extract. 



Barks received from Mr. C. Brownrigg, gathered in June, and obtained 

 from parish of Beaufort, Cowra district, diameter of tree 10 inches, yielded 

 16*5 per cent, of tannic acid and 42'4 per cent, of extract. A second 

 sample from the parish of Calout, in the same district, from a tree 7 inches 

 in diameter, gave 20'3 per cent, of tannic acid with 43 per cent, of extract. 

 Mr. Brownrigg kindly furnished the following notes with these samples : 

 Beaufort sample " Extensive forests of good, sound, old, and young trees, 

 not affected by the ring-barking of other timber." Calout sample " Since 

 the ring-barking of the box and other timber, nearly all the old wattle trees 

 have died away ; a young forest appears to be growing up." 



Bark from county Auckland (Monaro), and stripped in November, gave 

 24 per cent, of tannic acid and 42'55 per cent, of extract. 



Two samples from the Cooma district gave 24 per cent, of tannic acid 

 with 49'6 per cent, of extract, and 25'5 per cent, of tannic acid with 51'2 per 

 cent, of extract, respectively. The latter bark is worthy of special mention. 

 It is quite black, having not a trace of the whitish appearance generally 

 found on the bark of this species. It was brought to me as Green wattle 

 {Acacia decurrens var. mollis), and there seemed no necessity to doubt the 



