XANTHORRHGA. 
occur; é.g., in Western Australia, on the Otway plains, and in New 
South Wales and Queensland. An average-sized tree will yield about 
25 lbs. resin, though many may yield three times that amount. ‘The 
stems are like those of palms, and consist of a small central core of 
tissue, which is covered with a dense coating formed of the persistent 
bases of old leaves cemented together by the resin. There are about 
fourteen species of Xanthorrhea in Australia, distributed as follows :— 
X. arborea, X. bracteata, X. hastilis, X. macronema, and X. minor, in 
New South Wales; X. tateana, X. quadrangulata, X. semiplana, in 
South Australia; X. preissii and X. gracilis in Western Australia. 
X. pumilio is peculiar to Queensland, XY. australis to Victoria and Tas- 
mania, and X’, thorntoni to Central Australia and Northern Territory. 
X. media has been recorded for Australia. Some of these are either 
stemless or have very short stems, and are of no importance as resin 
eT ea es 
ee aa aa 
PHOTO-MICROGRAPH OF ULTIMATE FIBRES FROM CORE, Xanthorrhoea SP. 
Block kindly loaned by Department of Chemistry, South Australia. 
producers. The species of any importance that have been at all 
exploited are:—X. hastilis and X. arborea, New South Wales; YX. 
preissii, of Western Australia; and X. tateana, of South Australia and 
Kangaroo Island. Par 
The resin of X. hastilis is, when fresh, of a bright yellow colour, 
much resembling gamboge, and gives a yellow powder. It is externally 
‘darkened by sunlight, but remains yellow on the fracture. It was 
known at one time as yellow resin of Acaroides, or Botany Bay Gum, 
and was noticed by Governor Phillip in 1789. The resin of XY. arborea 
is dark-red in colour, and gives a reddish-brown powder. That of 
X. tateana is also reddish, but gives an orange powder, and tlie fracture 
is of ruby-red colour. | The resin of X. preissti, of Western Australia, 
is of a softer nature, and more balsamic in odour and appearance. 
It is of a dark-red colour, and gives a dark-brown. powder. There 
appears to be a certain amount of confusion as to the identity of some 
(279 ' 
