28 
president’s ADDRESS — SECTION B. 
mentioned the seeds of Macrozamia , Castanospermum , Ccinav cilia, the 
tubers of Cunjevoi ( Col ocas ia macrorrliiza, Schott) and AmorpJiopJiallus 
viridis . Blume (a virulently poisonous plant of the Northern Territory). 
The acridity of the unripe fruits of many of our Solanmns is 
worthy of inquiry. Some of them were eaten by the aborigines when 
dead ripe, and a chemical investigation of them at different stages of 
ripeness may be expected to be interesting. 
We do not yet know the percentage of citric acid in the fruits of 
our various species of Citrus and Atalantia ; neither do we know for 
certain the nature of the acid to which our native Tamarind ( JDiplo - 
glottis Cunninghamii , Hook, f,), the Queensland Cherry ( Antidesma) , 
the Cream of Tartar tree ( Adansonia Greg or ii. F. v. M.), the pulp 
which surrounds the seeds being acidulous ; and the foliage of various 
species of Hibiscus owe their flavour. 5 * The foliage of Casuarina is 
acidulous, so that chewing it often promotes a How of saliva in the 
thirsty traveller ; the acid is stated to be allied to citric acid, but this 
is surmise. 
We know that several (perhaps all) of our sapotaceous plants 
including Ac hr as and Mimusops , yield a milky sap which tastes like 
fresh cream. What food-value, if any, it possesses I know not, but 
in any case this substance undoubtedly presents a good deal of interest 
to the chemist. It could, however, only he conveniently examined 
where arrangements could be made for continuous fresh supplies. 
The milky juice of certain Asclepiads eaten by the aborigines has 
never been analysed. 
A number of plants (usually from stern necessity) have been used 
by the inhabitants of this continent as substitutes for tea. I call to 
min d Accena sanguisorbce, V ahl., At It erosperma moscliata , Labill., and 
JJoryphora Sassafras, Endl., both known as sassafras ; Correa alba , 
Andr., Kennedy a prostrata , R. Br., Kunzea Mueller i, Benth., Yerti- 
cordia pennigera , Endl., Ltptcspermum scoparium, Forst. (Captain 
Cook’s tea), Bcechia Gunniana, Sehau., Myrtus acmenioides, F. v. M. 
and M. fragrantissima , F. v. M. (the last two for flavouring), and 
Ocimum sanctum , Linn. The leaves were used in most cases, except 
those of the sassafrases, where the hark was employed. Most of the 
plants seem to have been chosen because of the essential oil they 
contain, and I am afraid that chemical examination is hardly likely to 
show that the plants contain valuable constituents. 
Of true Spices we have very few that are likely to demand 
recognition. They include a so-called Native Ginger ( Alpinia 
cosrulea, Benth.). The fruits also of some of our native Umbellifers 
will probably repay the chemical investigator, as will the pungent 
seeds of our two species of Drimys. 
The flowers of many Protcacefe secrete neelar (honey) to such 
an extent that sufficient may be obtained from many species to permit 
an investigation into the sugars they contain. 
Mannas, 
Sandalwood manna (My op or urn platycarpum, R. Br.), has long 
been known as a. food of the aborigines of the interior, and it has 
often been greedily sought after by Europeans. AFith the assistance 
■ Cf. Rennie, on the acids of the Native Currant {Lcptomcria acida , R. Br.), Proc. 
Roy. Soc. N. S. W., xiv., 115). 
