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I have repeatedly noticed a few seed-vcst^ls occurring, cither solitary or in clusters, on the male 
trees, and have ascertained by trial that the, seed contained in these is fertile, and germinates as readily as 
that from the female trees. In normal blossoms, when fully open, the ovary of the staminiferous type, 
though of about equal length to that in the female flower, is not nearly so stout and globose ; while the 
stamens are long, and have the anthers projecting above the top of the pistil (H. ix, figs. 2-3). In the 
female flowers, as has been very clearly described by Mr. Hamilton, the stamens are mere rudimentary 
scales appressed to the base of the ovary (I'l. ix, fig. 5). With the aid of my sons, I have, in several 
successive years, made a close examination of many hundreds of blossoms on both kinds of tree ; and have 
found, on the male tree, blossoms having short stamens, with shrivelled abortive anthers which did not 
dehisce or form pollen. By marking these with little pieces of cord tied round the petioles, I was able to 
keep them under observation, and found that these were the blossoms which gave rise to the frui 
noticed on the male trees. The abnormal blossoms, though by no means easy to find amongst the multi- 
tude of others, are readily identified when seen, because of the absence of visible anthers. The stamens 
in these blossoms are not like those in the female flowers, but are about one-half the normal length, 
reaching to about the top of the ovary, and as has been mentioned, are non-dehiscent (PI. ix, fig. 7). The 
ovary in the abnormal blossoms is, in size and shape, quite different from that in the ordinary male blossoms, 
but precisely like that in the female. On no occasion have we found a staminiferous blossom on a female 
tree, although we have searched carefully. 
The abnormal or fruit-setting blossoms on the male trees are erratically developed, sometimes only 
one in a cluster, at other times two, three, four, or even a full cluster, but they are never abundant. 
Intermediate blossoms are met with occasionally. One example, which I have carefully preserved, and 
which was on a male tree, contained two normal stamens, two abortive, and one intermediate (PI. ix, 
fig. 6) ; while the ovary had the small, slender shape normal in male blossoms. 
We thus see that, while the trees have differentiated into the dioecious state, the male trees have 
occasional female flowers which retain abortive stamens, and, more rarely, single blossoms which may be 
considered intermediate in having some normal and some abortive stamens ; the female trees appear never 
to have any but normal female blossoms. 
The normal number of petals in each blossom is five. Variations are exceedingly rare, and I have 
noticed only two examples, one of which chanced to be a male, and the other a female blossom. The 
former possessed only four petals and stamens, while the latter had six petals and a like number of the 
small, scale-like, undeveloped stamens. 
It would be interesting to know whether the seeds derived from male trees show any predisposition 
to produce male or female plants, and with this object in view, in 1906, I gave Mr. Maiden a quantity of 
seed which I had watched ripen on the male tree. This grew freely, but unfortunately, through some 
mishap, all the plants but five were lost sight of. These, however, are now growing in the Palace Ground 
section of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney ; they have not yet flowered, but will be kept under observation. 
I shall endeavour to give Mr. Maiden a fresh supply of similar seed, and it is proposed to continue the 
experiment. 
Oil from Flowers. In 1862, Mr. Bosisto, of Melbourne, distilled an oil 
from the flowers, obtaining 2 oz. from 100 Ib. of material. It was described as 
"limpid, colourless, lighter than water, of an exceedingly agreeable, jasmine-like odour; the 
taste disagreeably hot and bitter, reminding one slightly of turpentine and rue." The report 
he obtained from London was : " A charming fragrance, resembling a mixture of jonquil and 
jasmine. A few drops dissolved in silent spirit resemble many varieties of Eau de Cologne." 
Bark. The following chemical investigation will be found interesting, and 
a modern one is a desideratum : 
Pittosporine Glucoside of the bark and fruits of Pittosporum undulaium. The pulverised bark 
is extracted with hot alcohol, filtered when cold, mixed with an equal bulk of ether, filtered again, and 
evaporated. It is a whitish loose powder, sweetish at first, afterwards bitter and acrid ; dissolves in water 
and alcohol, not in ether; froths with water, gives precipitates with acetate and sub-acetate of lead. 
Separates, by boiling with diluted acids, into sugar and a white substance, insoluble in water. 
