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extus laciniis filamentosis crinitis ; petalis quam in precedente densius puberulis ; drupa ellipsoideo-globosa. 
M. Australasica, A. Juss. mem. Mel. In Nova Hollandia (Calley [Caley.—J.H. M.] in herb. Deless. et 
Berol.) ; in Lima culta (Ruiz in herb. Berol.). 
Botanical Name. — Melia, the Greek name of the Manna Ash ( Fraxinus 
Ornus), and applied to this tree because of a supposed resemblance of its leaves to 
those of the Ash; Azedarach, from the Persian “ Azad-daraklit,” the name more 
strictly applied to M. Azadiraclita, the common Indian “ Neem ” tree, hut applied 
by Linnaeus to a closely related congener. 
Yernacular Names. —Universally known in Australia as “ White Cedar.” 
In other countries it has other names. In India it is known as “Persian Lilac,” 
also as “Bastard Cedar” and “Bead Tree” (the last because the fruits, with the 
pulp removed, are strung together as beads, and for rosaries). 
Aboriginal Name. —“ Dygal ” and “ Dtheerah ” were names employed by 
New South Wales aborigines. “Kilvain” of the blacks of the Lower Tully Biver, 
Queensland. (Dr. Roth, Ethnog. Bull., No. 3.) 
SyilOliyms.— M. australasica, A. Juss. in Mem. Mus. Far. xix, 257. 
I have followed M. Casimir De Candolle, the monographer of the Meliacece. 
In his Prodromus Supplement (1878) he keeps M. Azedarach and M. dubia as 
separate species. He makes our Australian tree a variety ( australasica ) of 
M. Azedarach, as I have already shown. 
He makes M. composite, Willd. (non DC. Prod.) a synonym of M. dubia. 
He states that M. Azedarach, and not M. dubia, is a native of Australia. 
The earlier work of Hooker ( Flora of British India, i, 511, 1875) while 
agreeing that M. composita is synonymous with M. dubia, makes M. dubia, and not 
M. Azedarach, a native of Australia. 
Flowers. —-It bears a profusion of fragrant lilac-coloured flowers, hence one 
of its vernacular names. 
Fruit .—On the 22nd October, 18S8, the honorary secretary of the Adelong 
School Board wrote :— 
Recently a pupil of the Adelong Public School was taken suddenly and seriously ill, apparently 
having eaten something of a poisonous nature. She stated to her doctor that she ate some berries that 
grow on the White Cedar trees in the playground. 
I would invite my readers’ attention to the following data collected by me 
and published in the Agricultural Gazette under the heading “The alleged 
poisonous nature of "White Cedar berries.” 
Here is quite a recent report:— 
Penrith.—Three pigs belonging to Mr. W. Magrath, of Emu Plains, have been poisoned through 
eating White Cedar berries. Several other pigs died some months ago from the same cause.—(January, 
1906.) 
