270 



A. R. PENFOLD. 



THE ESSENTIAL OIL OP THE LEAVES OF DORY- 

 PHORA SASSAFRAS (ENDLICHER), Part I. 



By A. R. Penfold, f.o.s. 



Economic Chemist, Teclinological Museum, Sydney. 



[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, December 7, 1921,'] 



The Botany of this tree is described by Endlicher, (Iconogr. 

 t. 10), in "Flora Australiensis, Vol. v, page 283, and also 

 Maiden's "Forest Flora of New South Wales," Vol. i, page 

 42. It is the well known Sassafras tree of New South Wales 

 found growing in the good soil of the gullies of the brushes 

 of this State, extending from the south of Queensland down 

 to almost the Victorian border. It attains an average 

 height of about 50 to 80 feet. It is the characteristic 

 sassafras tree of this State just as is Atherosperma mos- 

 ■chatum that of Victoria, both of which belong to the 

 natural order Monimiacese. It is one of the commonest of 

 our brush trees, and has glossy coarsely serrate leaves, 

 which on crushing give the characteristic odour so well 

 known to all as "sassafras." Dr. J. M. Petrie, d.Sc.f.i.c, 

 in a paper on "The chemistry of Doryphora sassafras," 1 

 mentioned that an essential oil was present both in the 

 bark and leaves of this tree, but probably on account of the 

 small amount of material, 100 grams, he did not examine 

 the oil of the leaves, although some chemical and physical 

 data are given in connection with the bark oil. A complete 

 examination of the oil of the bark is at present being con- 

 ducted, the results of which will be communicated at a 

 later date. 



During the month of October, 1920, Mr, O. A. Colemane 

 of Clyde road, via Braidwood, commenced the distillation 



1 Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. xxxvn, (1912) p. 139-156. 



