ON SOME N.S.W. TAN- SUBSTANCES. 183 



A piece of bark stripped off the tree was immediately put in the 

 water-bath, with the following result : 



Weight green ... ... 50-007 grm. 



Weight dry 19-045 



Loss 30-962 

 .-. Loss in drying = 61*913 per cent. 



Extract. — Yields 21*566 per cent, to Avater at 100° C. Colour 

 •of solution, yellowish-brown of the tint of low-grade olive oil. 

 Darkens on boiling. Has the smell of sweet-wort. The mucilage 

 in solution clogs the filter-paper to a great extent. The filtrate 

 deposits flocculent matter which dries of a deep bronze colour. 

 The mucilage renders the filter-paper quite stiff, cementing the 

 folds firmly. Color of moist residue, light dirty brown with very 

 light woody particles intermixed. 



Tannic acid — -10-28 per cent. 



There are nine Australian species of Elceocarpus, four of which 

 are natives of New South Wales, two being found close to Sydney. 

 Fifty species of this genus are spoken of in the the " Genera 

 Plantarum ; ' of Bentham and Hooker, and the two New Zealand 

 species have been examined by Skey for tannin, with the following 

 results: — Elceocarpus dentatus, Yahl. ( = E. Hinau, A. Cunn.) 

 the Hinau or Whinau or Pokaka of the Maoris, gave 21*8 per 

 of tannin. Elceocarpus hookerianus, Paoul., called Pokaka (or 

 Pokako, Bokako or Bocarro) and Hinau, and in addition Mahi- 

 mahi, yielded 9 -8 per cent, of tannin. 



The following particulars on species of Elceocarpus in general are 

 suggestive : — The bitter and resinous bark of Elceocarpus is 

 renowned as a tonic; one species in Java is used as an anthelmintic. 

 Their acidulous sugary fruit is eatable, being used largely by the 

 natives of India in curries, and pickled. The kernels of several 

 species, (including E. grandis) which are elegantly marked, are 

 made by the Indians into necklaces and bracelets. They are often 

 set in gold, and very ornamental. 



-31 and 32. Rhus rhodanthema, F.v.JL, N.O. Aiiacardiacese, 



B. Fl. i., 489. 



Found in New South Wales and Queensland. 



Vernacular Name — " Deep Yellow-wood." The wood of R. 



Cotinus is known as young or Zante Fustic. It produces 



a rich yellow colour, which property is shared to some 



extent by the wood of the species now under examination. 



There are about 120 species of Rhus, according to the 



" Genera Plantarum " of Bentham and Hooker. They 



