(Miq., in Ned. Kruidk. Arch., iv., 138.) White Box.

Systematic. - Generally a finer tree than its congener E. hemiphloia, F.v.M. The barks of both are very similar, being white, but not deeply furrowed. It occurs generally on higher ground than the "Box" E. hemiphloia, F.V.M., and the timber is considered the better of the two. Leaves lanceolate, falcate, long and broad, coriaceous, glaucous; the venation is generally prominent, the intramarginal vein is removed from the edge. Peduncles axillary, sometimes 9 lines long. Buds long and acuminate, apparently sessile, but really tapering into short pedicels, mostly covered with whitish bloom; operculum conical, acuminate, sometimes obtuse, almost as long as the calyx tube.

Fruit. - Pedicellate or sessile, obovoid, oblong, truncate, glaucous; rim narrow, the capsule deeply sunk; valves not exserted; about 6 lines long, 3 lines in diameter.

A very distinct fruit which readily separates it from E. hemiphloia. The ghmcousness alone is sufficient to identify the fruit, for it has this feature more pronounced than most others.

Habitat. - Distributed throughout the Central Division of New South Wales; Victoria; South Australia.

REMARKS. - -Baron von Mueller was inclined to consider this species a variety of E. hemiphloia, F.v.M., but in the field the two trees are never confounded. "White Box" has a pale-coloured, hard, close-grained timber, which is highly prized for its durability, whilst the timber of E. hemiphloia is often of poor quality. The size and shape of the fruits, and the form of the leaf, differentiate that species from E. albens and the fruits at once differentiate this species from E. Woollsiana, R.T.B.

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets tor distillation were obtained from Rylstone, N.S.W., in June, 10,00. The yield of oil was 0.11 per cent. The crude oil was orange-brown in colour, and had a secondary odour of aroma-dendral, of which constituent it contained a good quantity; in fact, the resemblance between this oil and those from E. hemiphloia and E. Woollsiana was most marked. The oil contained a fair quantity of cineol; pinene was present, but phellandrene was absent. Cymene was detected. The influence of the aromadendral is shown by the high lævo-rotation of the third fraction. The oil of this species has no commercial value at present, even if the yield were greater.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 150 C. = 0.9044; rotation aD - 6.5°; refractive index at 20° = 1.4679, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent. alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 8.5.

On rectification, 2 per cent, distilled below 1670 C. (corr.). Between 167-183°, 76 per cent, distilled; between 183-224°, 11 per cent, came over, and between 224-255°, 5 per cent, distilled. These fractions gave the following results: -

The cineol, aetermmea by the phosphoric acid method in the first fraction, was 37 per cent., indicating about 30 per cent, in the original oil (O.M.).