78 



Oil. — " The oil of Eucalyptus gracilis, F.v.M., has the sp. gr. 0"909 ; 

 [a]j) = 4- 93 " (W. P. Wilkmson). Baron von Mueller found that 1,000 lb. of 

 fresh twigs of this plant (comprising, perhaps, 500 lb. of leaves) yielded 54^ oz. of 

 essential oil. Probably var. gracilis was experimented upon in both these cases. 



Messrs. Baker and Smith ("Research on the Eucalypts ") give the following 

 in regard to the oil of this species. Probably the E. gracilis referred to by them is 

 Eucaluptus calycogona, var. gracilis, but the authors add, " The species shows very 

 little variation in specific characters wherever it occurs on this continent," an 

 expression of opinion which I will presently show is very unfortunate. 



Specific gravity at 15° C, 0-9098 ; specific rotation [«]d = -|- 1'48°; saponi- 

 fication number, 6-17 ; solubility in alcohol, 1 vol. 80 %■ Constituents found — 

 pinene, eucalyptol, aromadendral. 



