69 



DESCRIPTION. 



HI. E. Staigeriana, F.v.M. 



Ex Bailey in Syn. Queensland Flora, 176 (1883). 

 The original description is as follows : — 



Lemon-scented Ironbark tree of medium size ; foliage glaucous. Leaves obovate to almost 

 lanceolate, 2 to 5 inches long, -J to nearly 2 inches broad, petiole about 1 inch ; oil-dots numerous ; veins 

 not prominent, the intramarginal one near the edge. Peduncles lateral, about 1 inch long, each bearing 

 from 3 to 6 small flowers, often forming terminal panicles. Operculum conical. Calyx-tube about 1 line 

 diameter. Stamens 1 to 2 lines long, inflected in the bud ; anthers globular. Fruit about 2 lines 

 diameter. Seeds disk-like. ( Palmer River.) 



The foliage of this tree, which was first discovered by P. F. Sellheim, yields a large quantity 

 of oil, equal in fragrance to that of lemons, and for which it forms an excellent substitute. The 

 percentage of oil from dry leaves obtained by Mr. Staiger is 2f ; the specific gravity O901. 



Notes supplementary to the Description. 



The species was named in honour of Karl Theodore Staiger, Government 

 Analytical Chemist of Queensland for some years, and who made many experiments 

 in regard to the chemistry of native plants. 



The present work only touches incidentally upon matters of economic 

 botany, but since this is not a New South Wales species, and . I, therefore, cannot 

 deal with it in my " Forest Flora of New South "Wales," I give brief particulars 

 concerning its essential oil. Mr. Staiger first examined it, reporting that : — " The 

 leaves possess an odour very like the Scented Verbena (Lippia citriodora) ; and 

 yield an oil similar to the verbena oil (from Andropogon citratus) of commerce. lie 

 found the dried leaves to yield 2|- to 3 per cent, (other figures give 1,290 oz. to 

 1 ton of dry leaves) of volatile oil of specific gravity "901." 



Then Messrs. Schimmel & Co., of Leipzig, reported : — 



Its leaves yield upon distillation 2'75-3 - 36 per cent, of an oil smelling pleasantly like lemon and 

 verbena. It has the sp. gr. O880-0'901 and boils from 170-230°. The lemon-like odour is due to citral ; 

 which, besides terpenes, forms the principal constituents of the oil* The same firm subsequently stated : — 



Percentage of yield of oil from raw material, 3'7 ; specific gravity at 15° C. - 880 ; contains Citral; 

 boils between 223' and 233°. t 



Finally, Messrs. Baker and Smith published a paper, entitled " The Lemon- 

 scented Ironbark {Eucalyptus Staigeriana, F.v.M.) and its essential oil. "J They find 

 the oil to contain : — 



Limonene ... ... ... ... ... ... 60"00 



Geraniol 

 Geranyl Acetate 

 Citral 

 Undetermined 



12-72 

 8-32 



16-00 

 2-96 



100-00 



° Bericht von Schimmel & Co., April, 188S, p. 20. t lb., October, 1893, p. 21. 



+ Pharra. Journ., 19th May, 190G, p. 571. 



