(Preiss Herb., according to Schau., in Pl. Preiss, Vol. I, p. 127, 1845.)

Systematic. - A tall shrub or small tree, with a roughish, reddish bark coming off in irregular sheets (Oldfield). Abnormal leaves orbicular to oval, small, thin, petiolate. Normal leaves oblong-ovate to broad lanceolate, 'about 2 1/2 inches long, obtuse, very thick, intramarginal vein removed from the edge, lateral veins very oblique. Flowers often twenty or more in dense heads on thick recurved, sometimes (kittened peduncles, 1 to 3 inches long. Calyx tube 2 to 3 lines in diameter, more or less sunk in the receptacle ; operculum cylindrical, dilated at the base, obtuse, up to 1 1/2 inch long.

Fruit. -Numerous, adnatein a cluster of twelve to twenty, and well sunk in the receptacle; symmetry lost by compression ; valves well exserted, wrinkled, acuminate, with openings between each valve, and connivent into a prominent cone, tapering into the persistent elevated base of the style; rim very narrow; about 7 lines in diameter.

These are easily separated from E. cornuta by the absence of the receptacle enclosing the base of the adnate fruits. The figure by Hooker, Bot. Mag. 6140, under E. cornuta, is this species.

Habitat. - Western Australia.

ESSENTIAL OIL.-Material of this species was collected from cultivated trees grown at the Werribee Sewage Farm, Victoria, in September, 1916. The oil was distilled by Mr. P. R. H. St. John, at Melbourne, who submitted it to us for investigation. The yield of oil he obtained from leaves and terminal branchlets was equal to 0.86 per cent. Mr. St. John states that no sewage matter was near the trees.

During the first hour 60 per cent. of the whole oil distilled; for the second hour 23 per cent. distilled, for the third and fourth hours 14 per cent., and for the fifth hour 3 per cent.

The crude oil was of a light lemon colour, and the odour gave a strong indication of the presence of valeraldehyde and butaldehyde. Pinene was the chief terpene, and phellandrene was absent. Cineol was present in fair quantity only. The crude oil was turbid when received, and did not clear on standing for some months; in this peculiarity it resembled that of E. microcorys. Only a small amount of ester was present.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 15o C. = 0.8964; rotation aD + 17.5°; refractive index at 20o = 1.4653, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent. alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 6.7.

On rectification 1 per cent. distilled below 152° C. (corr.). Between 152-170°, 55 per cent, distilled; between 170-193°, 30 per cent. came over, and between 193-255°, 9 per cent. distilled. These fractions gave the following results: -

The saponification number for the esters in the third fraction was 13.3, and for the first fraction 6.3. It is thus evident that a low-boiling ester, perhaps butyl-butyrate, was present in the first fraction.

The cineol was determined by the resoroinol method in the portion distilling below 193° C.; when calculated for the crude oil, the result was 40 per cent. By phosphoric acid the cineol hardly exceeded 20 per cent. A considerable amount of cineol was present in the oil boiling below 170° C. The first fraction was again distilled, when 46 per cent. came over below 159° C. (corr.), and 37 per cent. between 157-167° C. These fractions gave the following results :-

The Pinene. - The first fraction above was shaken with a solution of 50 per cent. resorcinol to remove the cineol. The unabsorbed oil was washed, dried and redistilled, when practically the whole came over between 156-157° C. (corr.). It had specific gravity at 15° C. = 0.8636; rotation aD + 38.6°; and refractive index at 20° = 1.4658. These constants are in close agreement with those for pinene. The nitrosochloride was prepared in the ordinary way and when purified melted at 103-4° C. This result confirms the indications for pinene, which thus had a specific rotation [a]D + 44.69°.

The oil of this species belongs to the pinene-cineol group, containing a small amount of esters.