(A. Cunn., Schau., in Walp, Rep., ii, 925.) (Syn. E. pauciflora, Sieb.)

Cabbage or White Gum.

Systematic. - A tall tree in favourable situations, but is found in a dwarf form on Mount Kosciusko, Snowy Mountains, N.S.W. Bark clean, white, and smooth, hence called "White Gum." Leaves lanceolate, comparatively large, thick, acuminating into a recurved point, falcate, sometimes over 9 inches long and 1 1/2 inch wide; venation often obscured, lateral veins very oblique and almost parallel to the mid-rib, giving the leaf a several-nerved appearance. Peduncles axillary, varying in length up to 6 lines, flattened or terete, bearing few flowers, shortly pedicellate or sessile. Calyx 3 lines long, pear-shaped; operculum hemispherical, depressed or conical, but obtuse.

Fruit. - Pear-shaped, contracted at the rim, which is either broad and truncate, or thin and countersunk; valves not exserted; 4 to 6 lines in diameter.

These fruits resemble these of E. vitrea, and also E. ovata.

Habitat. - Coast district, but chiefly on the Tableland, New South Wales. This (strictly speaking) mountain species extends from the New England Ranges into Victoria and South Australia.

REMARKS. -It has a clean white stem, and is conspicuous in the landscape. The thick leathery leaves, fruit, and timber differentiate it from E. stellulata, Sieb., E. vitrea, R.T.B., etc, species having a somewhat similar venation. The timber is hard, pale-coloured, but seasons badly, and is little valued, being subject to gum veins.

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were obtained from Ilford, N.S.W., in July, 1898. The yield of oil was 0.45 per cent. The crude oil was light yellowish-brown in colour, and had a peppermint odour, due to the presence of a small quantity of piperitone. Much phellandrene was present, but pinene only in small amount. A very small quantity of cineol was detected in the first fraction. The higher-boiling portion consisted largely of the sesquiterpene, together with eudesmol. Esters were not pronounced. The oil of this species differs greatly from that of E. phlebophylla, a species which has botanical features similar to those of E. coriacea.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 150 C. = 0.8947; rotation aD - 29.3°; refractive index at 200 = 1.4845, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent. alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 4.6.

On rectification, 1 per cent. distilled below 1740 C. (corr.). Between 174-1880, 63 per cent. distilled; between 188-2040, 13 per cent. came over, and between 204-2800, 19 per cent. distilled. These fractions gave the following results: -

The above sample was stored in the dark, and in November, 1919, was again analysed. Not much alteration had taken place during the twenty-one years it had been kept, except that the rotation with the crude oil had diminished considerably. This was apparently due to the alteration in optical rotation of the piperitone, as the phellandrene had not altered much. This is shown by the fact that while the loss in rotation with the crude oil was 21.5°, that with the rectified portion was only 2.1°. 62 per cent, distilled below 1900 C. The crude oil and the rectified portion gave the following results: -

The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the rectified portion; when calculated for the crude oil the result was 10 per cent. As piperitone was present, a ketone determination was made in the rectified portion, with the result that 6 per cent. was absorbed. Thus about 5 per cent, of cineol was present in the crude oil.

Material for distillation was obtained in March, 1913, from Mount Kosciusko, N.S.W., the highest point in Australia, where the tree is known as the "Snow Gum." The yield of oil was 0.76 per cent.

The crude oil had a peppermint-like odour, due to the presence of piperitone. Phellandrene was pronounced and pinene practically absent. Cineol was present in very small amount, and crystallised eudesmol was also detected. The high-boiling portion consisted largely of the sesquiterpene.

Altogether this oil had strong resemblance to that originally distilled from the material collected at Ilford in 1898.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 150 C. = 0.8983; rotation aD - 27.0°; refractive index at 200 = 1.4890, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent. alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 3.7.

The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the portion distilling below 190° C.; when calculated for the crude oil, the result was 5 per cent.