Stunted Ironbark

Systematic. - Only a medium-sized tree, with a black-furrowed bark, glaucous throughout, except the bark. Leaves mostly ovate-lanceolate, shortly acuminate or rounded, to lanceolate, always glaucous, coriaceous, up to 4 inches long; intramarginal vein not much removed from the edge, lateral veins running at an angle of 450 from the mid-rib; petioles slender, up to 3/4 inch long. Buds up to six in umbel, each on a slender pedicel, the common peduncle very slender, nearly 9 lines long; calyx tube tapering very gradually to the pedicel; operculum conical, acuminate, much shorter than calyx tube.

Fruit. - Acuminate, pyriform, contracted at opening, on slender pedicels; rim truncate, slightly concave, sometimes much raised towards the centre, having a domed appearance and a sharp-edged rim; valves deeply inserted; up to 5 lines long and 4 lines broad.

The nearest resemblance to these fruits amongst Eucalypts are E. melanophloia or E. Fergusoni.

Habitat. - Murrumbo, New South Wales.

REMARKS. - In the first Edition this species was placed by us as Bentham's (B. Fl. vol. iii, p. 210) variety of E. sideroxylon, i.e. var. pallens, but the physical, field, and chemical characters are sufficiently different, we think, to raise it to specific rank. It appears to be quite restricted to the locality where it was first discovered by us, as no other specimens have come to hand. It is very picturesque, with its silvery leaves, gnarled branches, and very black, deeply furrowed bark. It never attains a large size, being of quite stunted, gnarled growth, and the timber is not valued, as the tree is nearly always decayed in the centre. Locally it is always regarded as distinct from E. sideroxylon.

We, however, are convinced now that it is not Bentham's var. pallens of E. sideroxylon, which Mr. Maiden has since raised to specific rank under the name of E. Caleyi, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., XXX, 512 (1905). A species further dealt with by this author in his Crit. Rev. Euc, vol. ii. p. 95 (1914). and For. Flor.. vol. vi, p. 86 (1917).

It will readily be seen by the fruits C and E. Plate 207 of the later work that they differ considerably from D, same plate, which latter are from Rylstone, Murrumbo, and were given to Mr. Maiden by us under the name of E. sideroxylon, var. pallens. E. Caleyi is a tall Ironbark, whilst this species is quite a stunted, gnarled tree, and is not known as an Ironbark locally, as the timber possesses none of the qualities of an Ironbark, and the only resemblance to any tree of that group is the fruit which may be said to match somewhat those of E. sideroxylon. Mr. Maiden states that his E. Calyi "is locally esteemed and apparently a timber of good quality" (Crit. Rev.). In For. Flor. "the timber is red in colour, locally esteemed and apparently a timber of good quality." Such qualities will not apply to this species.

It differs from E. Calyi (1) in the foliage, which is always very glaucous, (2) in the shape and size of the leaves, which are always smaller and less lanceolate than obtains in that species and are of uniform shape throughout both the early leaves and late, (3) in the venation, the intramarginal vein not being "a considerable distance from the edge" as obtains in E. Caleyi. Neither are the "veins prominent and wide apart," but are indistinct, and in some cases so hidden as not to be discernible at all, but lost in the leaf material. (4) The flowers, stalks, and peduncles are almost filiform, whilst those of E. Caleyi are much stouter, (5) the operculum is acuminate, almost from the base of the apex.

The fruits more closely approach those of E. melanophloia and E. Fergusoni.

In botanical sequence it perhaps should be placed next to E. melanophloia, as the fruits, and glaucousness of the leaves, buds, and fruits, and the dark, deeply furrowed bark give it some affinity to that species.

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were obtained from Murrumbo, N.S.W., in October, 1900. The yield of oil was 0.4 per cent. The crude oil was dark amber-coloured, and had a turpentine-like odour. Phellandrene was present in some quantity, and pinene also detected. Cineol was also present, about 20 per cent. in the crude oil. The third fraction consisted largely of the sesquiterpene. The crude oil and the third fraction were both dextro-rotatory, while the first and second fractions were lævo-rotatory. This was due to the presence of the liquid form of eudesmol, which is dextrorotatory, it was present in considerable quantity, and thus overcame the lævo-rotation of the phellandrene. The liquid form of eudesmol appears to be the more stable, and occurs in the oils of many species in which crystals have not so far been detected.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 15° C. = 0.9158; rotation aD + 12.7°; refractive index at 200 = 1.4827, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent, alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 6.4.

On rectification, 1 per cent. distilled below 1630 C. (corr.). Between 163-1830, 61 per cent, distilled; between 183-2440, 9 per cent. came over, and between 244-2750, 25 per cent. distilled. These fractions gave the following results: - -

The cineol, determined by the phosphoric acid method in the first fraction, was 26 per cent., indicating about 17 per cent, in the crude oil (O.M.).

The oil of this Eucalypt has little resemblance to that of E. sideroxylon.

This sample of oil had been stored in the dark, and in August, 1919, was again analysed. Scarcely any alteration had taken place in general character and constituents during the nineteen years it had been kept, except that the specific gravity had increased a little, and the rotation of the phellandrene slightly diminished. No deposit had formed, so that the constituents were stable. 60 per cent, distilled below 190° C.

The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the rectified portion; the result was 31 per cent. in the crude oil. By the phosphoric acid method it was 20 per cent., when calculated for the original oil.

A portion was acetylated, when the saponification number had increased to 54.2°; in the cold with two hours' contact, it was 22.2°. This result indicates about 10 per cent, free eudesmol, and 6 per cent, free geraniol.