— 95 — 



odour, called them "Aniseed Buchu". These leaves are ovate-lanceolate, 

 leathery, 5 to 8 mm. long and 3 mm. wide and bear a resemblance 

 to Karoo Buchu. Sage intends to make further investigations with 

 the object of discovering whether the botanical designation afore- 

 mentioned is correct. 



E. M. Holmes 1 ) was the first to call attention to the occurrence 

 of leaves from Barosma pulchellum. They differ from the betulinum 

 leaves by their citronella-like odour as well as by being smaller. Their 

 length runs from 7 to 12 mm., their width is 4 mm. They have very 

 short stalks, are ovate to ovate-lanceolate, serrulate, obtuse, and broadest 

 at the base of the leaf. Like the other varieties of Barosma, the 

 shrub is a native of Cape Colony. In order to enquire further into 

 the question whether the oil would eventually possess a commercial 

 value, we obtained from London a considerable parcel of the leaves. 

 Dr. Giessler, "Custos" at the Botanical Institute of Leipzig University, 

 who has examined the material as regards its botanical origin, has 

 ascertained that it really represented Barosma pulchellum (L.) Bartl. 

 et Wendl. Leaves of the closely related B. pulchellum var. majus and 

 B. latifolium (L. f.) Rom. et Schult. also occurred in the parcel. 



Upon distillation the leaves yielded 3 °/ of a golden-yellow oil, 

 with an odour reminding chiefly of citronella, but possessing at the 

 same time an unpleasant narcotic subsidiary odour, which constitutes 

 a direct objection to the use of the oil. The specific gravity was 0,8830 

 (15 ), opt. rot. « D -|-8 36', n D20 o 1,45771, acid no. 18,5, ester no. 27,2, 

 ester no. after acetylation 237,0= 79,3% C 10 H 18 O. We are able 

 to give the following details with regard to the examination of the 

 oil, which is however not yet concluded: — 



The disagreeable subsidiary odour referred to above is due to a 

 base. This was abstracted from the oil (which was kept cool) by 

 treatment with 25% tartaric acid solution. The base, separated from 

 the tartaric acid solution by means of carbonate of soda, possessed an 

 extraordinarily penetrating narcotic odour. It had a rather inconstant 

 b. p. between 130 and 140 (5 mm. press.). (The quantity of the 

 material employed was barely 1 g.) From the hydrochloric acid solution, 

 on treatment with platinum chloride, no crystals separated off. 



The citronella-like odour of the oil freed from the base made us suspect 

 the presence of citron ell al. As a matter of fact the oil reacted with bi- 

 sulphite liquor partly neutralised by sodium carbonate, a crystalline mass 

 being separated. From the latter, after filtering with the suction pump and 

 purifying with alcohol and ether, an aldehyde was liberated by warming 

 with carbonate of soda solution. Its constants showed it to be citronellal; 



*) Pharmaceutical Journal 79 (1907), 598; compare also Chemist and Druggist 

 71 (1907), 702. 



