XXIV. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ: 



1. "On the Australian Melaleucas and their Essential Oils," 

 Part V, by R. T. Baker, f.l.s. and H. G. Smith, f.c.s. 



The species investigated in this number of the series are 

 Melaleuca leucadendron, Linn, and its alleged synonyms. 

 This was the first species described in the genus, and was 

 recorded by Linnaeus under the impression that it was from 

 it that the East Indian oil of "Cajuput" was derived from 

 its leaves. This was afterwards shown to be an error, and 

 that it was M. minor which yielded the oil. There are 

 several Melaleucas with broad leaves somewhat similar to 

 the M. leucadendron growing around the east and north 

 coasts of Australia, and although most of these have at 

 various times been given specific names which have, how- 

 ever been synomyised under Linnaeus' species, a comparison 

 of these with the original has shown them to be distinct 

 both botanically and chemically. This paper deals with 

 the systematic history of each species, their geographical 

 distribution, timbers, and chemistry of the oils. The 

 essential oil obtained from two of the species differs con- 

 siderably from that known as "cajuput," which oil has been 

 supposed in the past to have been derived from a similar 

 tree. The main portion of oil of "cajuput" consists of 

 <?ineol, a constituent common to very many of the oils of 

 the Melaleucas; the alcohol terpineol has also been isolated 

 from " cajuput." The oil from Melaleuca Maideni differs 

 considerably from "cajuput" in that it contains much less 

 cineol, and in the high boiling constituents not being the 

 same. The oil of Melaleuca Smithii consists almost entirely 

 of high boiling constituents of which the greater portion is 

 a sesquiterpene alcohol, which, from its physical and other 

 properties, seems to belong to the open chain series. This 

 alcohol, which has been named melaleucol, thus differs from 

 the sesquiterpene alcohols usually found in essential oils, 



