113 
B.—No. iii of the Northern Timbers. (London Exhibition, 1862.) 
Cryptocarya sp. 
“ Gooroie ” of the aborigines of the Richmond River. 
• “ A tree of general occurrence in the cedar brushes ; timber hard and durable, 
and may be obtained of considerable size, but not used by settlers.” 
C.—No. x of the Northern Rivers. (London Exhibition, 1862.) 
Cryptocarya sp. 
“ Menem ” of the blacks at Ballina, Richmond River. 
“ A magnificent tree, from 80 to 100 feet in height, and 3 to 1 feet in diameter. 
Abundant in the brushes. Timber of apparent value, but not used for any purposes 
by settlers.” 
Can anyone say what these trees are, or send me flowering or fruiting twigs ? 
Dr. T. L. Bancroft wrote in Proc. Intercol. Med. Cong , 1890, as follows :— 
“ The genus Cryptocarya contains a curare-acting principle. It is, I believe, an alkaloid closely 
resembling curarine. Professor Fraser has promised to experiment with this poison, so before long 
something definite about it may be known. There are several species of Cryptocarya in South America, 
and notably one, C. guianensis. It is Guiana where curare is obtained, and it is to the interest of the 
natives, who collect this substance, to keep its source secret. It seems that, to inquirers, the natives 
always point to a Strychnos (chiefly Strychnos guianensis —see Wittstein’s Organic Constituents of 
Plants), as the tree from which they obtain the curare. Some samples of curai’e contain curarine, brucine, 
and strychnine ; other samples contain only curarine, which fact seems to point to the juice of a Strychnos 
being added at times to enhance the poisonous nature of curare.” 
The barks of the New South Wales species of Cryptocarya offer an interesting 
subject for experiment by New South Wales chemists. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 100. 
A. Flowering branch. 
B. Young flower. 
c. Flower, opened out, showing— 
(a) Perianth (calyx). 
(b) Stamens, outer row. 
(c) „ inner row. 
(d) Staminodia, inner row. 
(e) „ outer row. 
( f) Stigma. 
D. Anthers, back and front. 
E. Staminode, outer row. 
F. „ inner row 
a. Pistil. 
H. Young fruits. 
k. Mature fruits, 
L. Seed. 
C 
