EXPLANATION OF PLATE 15. 



A. Outside view of tie flower opened out — (a) Oalys, (7;) Petals, 



(c) Stamens. 



B. Inside view of tlie flower opened out. 



d. Pistil. 

 c. One stamlnal bundle with a petal. 



D. Stamens. 



E. Pistil. 



F. Ovary, showing convex summit. 



G. Vertical section of ovary. 



H. Horizontal section of ovary. 

 I. Fruiting spike. 



Syncarpia laurifolia. Ten. 



The Turpentine-teee. 



Botanical Name. — Syncarpia, indirectly from two Greek words, sun, 

 together, and 'karpos, a fruit, in allusion to the heads of fruits which have 

 their calyces joined or grown together, (connate). This may readily be seen 

 from the figure. 



Vernacular Name. — " Turpentine-tree." It is so called because of the 

 lesinous exudation which flows between the bark and the wood when the 

 timber is cut into. It is an unfortunate name, as it suggests inflammability, 

 and turpentine is one of the most uninflammable of timbers. In some 

 districts the fresh red-coloured turpentine is called " red-turpentine " to 

 •distinguish it from the chocolate or .dark-browij. coloiired timber known as 

 " black turpentine." They are the same timber, the latter either being over- 

 matured, or suffering from incipient decay. In the Gosford district the 

 name " silky turpentine " is applied by timber-getters to turpentines in 

 Tvhich the bark is thinner and stringy, and the wood comparatively light in 

 colour when freshly cut. 



Leaves. — Somewhat laurel-like, as the specific name denotes. The under- 

 side of a dirty white, often with small black patches, caused by a minute 

 fungus. . ., ,\: li 



Flowers. — ^White, and in small round balls, consisting of a number of 

 ^individual flowers joined together by their calyces. 



Fruit. — Hard and woody, and containing abundance of the brown dust- 

 like seed, which sheds as soon as the fruits get dry. On the fruit are often 

 seen globules of the so-called " turpentine." 



Baric. — The hark is of a flaky, fibrous character, and often of a consider- 

 able thickness. It is of a brown colour. In large trees it has a furrowed 

 appearance. The bark of our turpentine-tree does not appear to be put to 

 any useful purpose, with the exception, an important one, of a covering to 

 the logs. 



Timber. — In colour it is usually dull red, but it varies to brown or purple- 

 brown. It has a neat and perhaps characteristic grain. Mr. Augustus 

 Rudder says : — " I believe that this timber might be used to advantage in 

 "cabinet work, as some of it is handsome, and takes a good polish, and only, 

 •I believe, requires proper treatment to make it more highly esteemed for 

 many purposes." It has been successfully used by local billiard-table manu- 

 facturers for table-legs. 



