412 



I. HISTORICAL. 



It was not until thirty-two years after the Tasmanian species became known 

 that this species was described, and it is certainly remarkable that these two 

 species should occur so far apart geographically. 



II. SYST1'::\I.\TIC. 



A densely branched, scrambling shrub. Leaves a dark-olive green colour, 

 imbricate, keeled, obtuse, about three mm. long. Male amentum terminal, erect, 

 about seven mm. long, and composed of about ten to fifteen microsporophylls. 

 Female amentum, solitary towards the ends of the branchlets, with few micro- 

 sporophylls, spiralh' arranged, each havhig a single orthotropous ovule. Cones 

 small, with four to eight scales, thickened at the base into an obtuse external 

 protuberance, acuminate at tlie apex. 



Chemistry of the Leaf Oil. 



This material, which was somewhat difficult to obtain, consisted of the 

 terminal branchlets of this little prostrate Conifer, and fruits were quite absent. It 

 was collected at Leura, New South Wales, 66 miles west of Sydney, 20th 

 Februarv, 1907. The yield of oil was small, and 145 lb. of material gave only 

 2| oz. of oil, equal to o-io8 per cent. The crude oil was of a light lemon colour, 

 and had a turpentine-like odour, not at all distinctive. It was largely a terpene 

 oil, consequently was but little soluble in alcohol, and it did not form a clear 

 solution with 10 volumes of go i)er cent, alcohol. Only a very small amount 

 of ester was detected, and as the oil at our disposal was small in quantity, its 

 identity could not be determined. 



The oil consisted ))rinri])ally of dextro-rotatory ])inrno, probably a little 

 limonene or dipentene, and cadinene — thejatter^in^some quantity. 



The specific gravity of the crude oil at 'f 5° C. = 0-8705 ; rotation «„= -f 15-1° ; 

 refractive index at 23° C. = 1-4841. The saponification number was only 2-4, 

 equal to 0-84 per cent, of ester as bornyl or geranyl acetate. 



Only a small amount of oil could be spared for redistillation, but nothing 

 came over below 155'' (". Between 155° and 159°, 44 per cent, distilled; and 

 between 159° and 178°, 27 per cent. ; only a comparatively small amount came 

 over between 178° and 265°; but 15 per cent, distilled between 265° and 280° C. 



The specific gravilv of the lirst fraction at 21° C. = 0-8483 ; of the se( (nul, 

 0*8433 ; of the third, 0-9216. The rotation of the first fraction n,, = + 27-6"; and 



