(H.D. & J.H.M., Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., 1899, p. 454.) Peppermint.

Systematic. - A large umbrageous tree attaining several feet in diameter, with a "Peppermint " bark. Abnormal leaves alternate, pale-coloured, lanceolate, usually obtuse, margin crenulate, average size about 1 3/4 inch by 5/8 inch. Normal leaves lanceolate, average size 2? inches by 1/2 inch ; intramarginal vein removed from the edge; lateral veins parallel, at an angle of about 450 from mid-rib. Peduncles short (1 line), angular; bearing six or seven flowers in the head. Calyx tube short; operculum about the same length as the calyx, shortly pointed.

Fruit. - Almost sessile, hemispherical; rim narrow, truncate or slightly domed ; valves scarcely exserted ; 2 lines broad and 1 1/2 lines long.

The fruits bear a great resemblance to those of E. Macarthuri, so that the two species cannot be separated on the fruits alone.

Habitat. - New England district, New South Wales.

REMARKS.-The authors, when describing this species, speak of the bark as " Peppermint, stringy, rough and furrowed." If this is correct, then on a cortical classification it would be very difficult to place it in any of the groups of this Genus. However, to us it seems to approach more nearly the bark of the "Peppermint" group in texture. It is one of the numerous so-called " Peppermints " of the New England Tableland.

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were obtained from Tenterfield in January, 1910. The material was collected as for commercial distillation, so that the yield is an average one. The crude oil was red in colour, very mobile, and had a rank, turpentine-like odour. It consisted principally of dextro-rotatory pinene, and the sesquiterpene. Phel-landrene could not be detected, and cineol was only present in a very small amount. The ester was somewhat large for an oil of this class, and apparently consisted principally of geranyl-acetate. In its general characters the oil of this species has resemblance to that of E. nova-anglica, although the larger amount of dextro-rotatory pinene (with a very high rotation), the less yield of oil, higher ester content, lower specific gravity, and the small quantity of the sesquiterpene, all show it to differ from the oil of that species. The following results were obtained with the crude oil: -

The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 17.4, while in the cold with two hours' contact it was 16.2.

This result shows the ester to be principally geranyl-acetate, so that, from the cold saponification, the oil contained 5.7 per cent. of that ester.

On rectification less than 1 per cent. came over below 1540 C. (corr.). Between 154-157°, 70 per cent. distilled; between 157-183°, 16 per cent. distilled, leaving 13 per cent. of high-boiling constituents. These fractions were:-

The residue, which had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0.9833, gave on saponification the number 80.6, or 28.2 per cent. of ester, if calculated as geranyl-acetate. The saponified oil had a distinct odour of geraniol, but sufficient oil was not available to permit of its isolation in the pure condition. The acid of the ester was, however, shown to be acetic, so that all the available evidence, both botanical and chemical, goes to show that the principal ester is geranyl-acetate.

The constitution of the oil also suggests that this species is closely associated with the earlier members of the Genus, similarly with E. nova-anglica.

The results obtained with the oil of this species were published by us in the Proc. Roy. Soc, N.S.W., November, 1911.