VoL ii., No. G. 
173 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OP AUSTRALASIA. 
NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN PLANTS, 
By Baron Von Mueller, K.C.M.O., M. & Ph.D., F.R.S. 
(Continued.) 
Hollandaea. 
Flowers bi-sexual ; petals symmetrical at first, coherent 
into a straight tube, soon disconnected. Stamens inserted 
within the dilated summit of the petals ; anthers almost 
sessile, broadly linear by prolongation of the connective, 
blimtly apiculated ; pollen grains roundish tetrahedral, 
smooth. Style straight, capillary. Stigma ellipsoid clavate, 
terminal. Hypogynous glands four, roundish, somewhat 
connate. Ovary sessile, conical-ellipsoid; ovules many, bi- 
seriate, placed horizontally. Fruit large, bursting anteriorly 
into two hard widely expanding, dorsally connate valves. 
Seeds several, placed in two rows against each other hori- 
zontally, comparatively very large, flatly compressed, except 
the terminal and basal seed ; all others either dimidiate or trun- 
cate; orbicular, very thick, the inner margin often triangular 
and overlapping. Testa membranous and partly chartaceous, 
not expanding into any appendage. Albumen none. Cotyle- 
dons whitish, hard-carulent, thick, more or less unequal, 
flat on one side, angular on the other, dorsally broad and 
abruptly rounded, anteriorly narrow-edged. Radicle minute, 
enclosed within the cotyledons near the point of the attach- 
ment of the seed. A tree of intratropical Eastern Australia ; 
leaves rather large, scattered or sometimes opposite ; 
racemes spike-like, much elongated, lateral and perhaps also 
terminal. Bracts minute ; flowers in pairs on semi- 
connate stalklets; petals quite straight before expansion. 
Fruit ovate-ellipsoid ; pericarp dry, transversely impressed 
inside. 
Hollandaea Sayeri. 
Helicia Sayeri^ F. v. M., in the Victorian Naturalist, III, 
92. On the base of Mount Bellenden Ker ; W. Sayer. 
This was described as a species of the genus Helicia last 
year from specimens with flowers only, in bud and without 
fruit, the plurality of the ovules thus eluding observation. 
Early this year some fruiting branchlets were forwarded by 
the discoverer of the tree, by which means the generic 
distinctness of this remarkable plant became apparent, 
though the flowers — except their ovules — are quite those of 
Helicia and Darlingia. To the last mentioned genus our 
new one approximates somewhat in structure of fruit, 
receding however already in the larger and not definite 
number of seeds, which moreover are neither vertically 
placed, nor surrounded by any marginal membrane, while 
the cotyledons are neither very thin nor equal. As regards 
the transverse position of the seeds, Hollandaea api)roaches 
to Garniera, differing however widely in its elongated 
stigma, in its valvate and not locellate fruit, in its neither 
long-funiculated nor appeudiculated seeds, and probably also 
in floral structures, the flowers of Garneira being still 
unknown. 
Recent access of material shows, that the leaves occur some- 
times less pale beneath, than recorded before, that the fruit 
varies in length from 2^ to 6 inches ; that the transverse 
ridges on the inner side of the valves are only slightly promi- 
nent, though marking off the respective spaces occupied by 
each of the seeds, that the latter attain fully an inch in length, 
often three-quarters of an inch in width, and about one-third, 
or occasionally even half-an-inch, in thickness, the testa being 
brownish and smooth. Mr. Sayer saw trees fully 40ft. high; 
the bark he found to be ashy grey and almost smooth. He 
records the colour of the flowers as claret-red. To judge from 
fragmentary material, it does not seem, that the occasionally 
apposite approximation of the leaves indicates them to be 
leaflets of a compound leaf. The foliage and flowers remind 
of Kermadecia rotundifolia, although petioles and pedicels are 
much less developed. The form and size of the fruit is 
almost that of Cardwellia sublimis. 
In dedicating this evidently rare and highly conspicuous 
plant to Sir Henry Holland, Bart., P.C., G.C.M.G., the present 
Secretary of State for the Colonies, I particularly wished to 
con nect, in our Australian floral world, the name of the Right 
Honourable gentleman with those of four of his predecessors, 
to whom in succession similar reverence was shown, by naming 
trees (likewise of the proteaceous order of plants) in acknow- 
ledgement of what these Statesmen have achieved in advan- 
cing so largely the interests of the Australian colonies ; 
furthermore, it is especially pleasing to the writer, that he can 
offer this new tribute at a time, when the union of all the 
territories under the British Crown is rendered still more 
consolidated, by the Colonies being drawn, for the first time, 
into the council of the Empire, during Sir Henry Holland’s 
ministerial administration. The Hollandaea ought to yield 
an acceptable addition to the few intertropieal nut-trees of the 
world ; because should the seeds prove alimentary, at least in 
a rested state, the bulk of produce would be larger, than that 
from the closely allied Brabejum of South Africa, the Guevina 
of Chili and our own more southern Macadamia ; indeed, the 
discoverer pronouncing this new tree as bearing its fruits in 
remarkable abundance. 
StuiJctits’ Cnnter. 
“ Competition is the best trainviff.'* 
REPORT AND COMMENTS ON THE FOURTEENTH 
COMPETITION. 
Four candidates have sent in their papers for examination 
on the present occasion, and singularly enough they all hail 
from Melbourne. We trust, in days to come, the geographical 
area of competition will be less circumscribed, and that 
students everywhere may rely on absolute impartiality in the 
adjudication of their merits. 
RESULTS. 
Full Marks, 50 
“Argent Nit” .• .. .. .. .. 41 
“Excelsior” 
“ SciENTIA KT PoTENTIA” .. .. 35 
“Kalium” .. .. .. .. .. 25 
It will be observed that the third in order of merit runs - 
very close on the heels of number two, indeed, it was no easy 
task to draw a difference between their papers. We can only 
wish “ Ncientift ” greater success the next time he competes 
for one of our prizes. 
On the subject-of vinegar, the character of the replies was 
specially good, although the descriptions savour too much of 
books; in one instance quotations being made from “Ures* 
Dictionary of the Arts and Manufactures.” We have no wish 
to proscribe reference to standard authorities, but we do desire 
that where a student has carefully read about any subject, he 
should express himself more suo, but in sufficient clearness to 
show to the examiner that he (the student) has thoroughly 
grasped the principles involved, or the details required. 
The two chief methods in vogue for the manufacture of 
vinegar, or “ acetification,” as the process is called, are; 1. 
The English or Slow Process, whereby what may be called 
beer, minus hops, becomes sour by prolonged exposure in casks 
with partial access to air, the product being designated ‘ ‘ British 
or Malt Vinegar.” The B. P, definition of Acetum, though 
true enough, is misleading. Infusion of malt, or wort, as it 
is technically called, must “work,” i.e. ferment, from the action 
of the yeast fungus, before vinegar can result. The alcohol 
thereby produced is then slowly converted into acetic acid by 
atmospheric oxygen. This change is accelerated by the liquors 
being kept in old casks, since the “ mother of vinegar plant ” 
( My coderma Aceti), which has found a nidus there, causes the 
acetous fermentation. Not a word from any of the candidates of 
the vinous fermentation preceding the acetous fermentation, 
showing want of thought on the part of the students, and too 
strict allegiance to the text books at their elbow. Moreover, 
it will be obvious that the pharmacopceal description is at 
fault, for the oxygen of the air causes much of the change, 
and by the fast process adopted in France and Germany, and 
hereafter alluded to, direct oxidation takes the leading part 
in effecting the production of acetic acid. 
The second method of vinegar manufacture is that known 
as the Continental, or Quick Process, much time being saved 
by the direct use of alcoholic liquors in the form of weak wines 
already turned sour ; the acetification being still further ex- 
pedited by the plan of operation. The liquors, at a tempera- 
ture of 20 degrees, C., are allowed to trickle down large 
columns of beech wood shavings, or small twigs of birch sup- 
ported by a latticed framework; or, more commonly now, 
layers of shavings are placed in tall vats or tuas, freely per^ 
