(Sm., in Trans. Linn. Soc, III, 287.) White Ironbark.

Systematic. Often a tall tree. Bark hard, compact, furrowed. Abnormal leaves broadly lanceolate, up to 7 inches long, up to 2 inches broad, pale on the under side; venation indistinct, lateral veins spreading, intramarginal vein slightly removed from the edge. Normal leaves lanceolate, generally under 6 inches long, and about 1 inch broad, under surface sometimes pale-coloured; venation distinct, but occasionally submerged in the leaf tissue, lateral veins spreading, not very oblique, intramarginal vein removed from the edge. Flowers in axillary or terminal panicles, from six to ten in each umbel. Calyx under 3 lines in diameter on a pedicel of about the same length; operculum conical, but generally constricted at its base.

Fruit. - Urn-shaped, pyriform, or inclined to hemispherical; rim flat; valves inserted or slightly exserted; varies in length from 3 to 4 lines and under 3 lines in diameter, slightly less in some forms.

The fruits arc not easily confounded with those of any other species, except perhaps E. intertexta or E. fasci-cnlosa. Some forms have a half-round ring below the outer edge and valves deeply inserted, whilst at other times the valves are exserted.

Habitat. Coast district and Dividing Range of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

REMARKS. - The systematic position of this species seems now firmly established, as, owing to the morphological resemblances in herbarium material, it has in the past been confounded with other species, especially E. fasciculosa. The common names are unfortunate, indicating extremes of colour, whereas such do not hold. The wood at first in all cases is whitish, and changes on exposure to a grey or at Port Macquarie with dark lines, hence its name "Black Ironbark" in that district. The bark is deeply furrowed, hard and of a corky nature, generally with less kino than obtains in other "Ironbarks." It is a slow grower, but a foliaceous tree.

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were obtained from Barber's Creek, New South Wales, in October, 1900. The yield of oil was 0.1 per cent. The crude oil was olive-brown in colour, and had a somewhat aromatic odour. It contained much pinene, also some cineol, but phellan-drene could not be detected. The oil contained some free alcohol, to which the aromatic odour was largely due.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 15o C. = 0.901; rotation aD + 7.80; refractive index at 20o = 1.4744, and was soluble in 1 volume 80 per cent. alcohol.

The saponification number for the esters and free acid as 7.11. A portion of the oil was acetylated by boiling with acetic anhydride and sodium acetate in the usual way. The saponification number of the acetylated oil was 56.14, indicating the presence of a fair amount of alcoholic bodies. It is probable that the principal alcohol is not geraniol, but its identity remains to be determined. It will probably be found to be terpineol.

On rectification a rather large amount of acid water and volatile aldehydes Came over below 158o C. (corr.). Between 158-172o, 53 per cent. distilled; between 172-183o, 27 per cent. came over; between 183-227o, only 5 per cent. distilled, and between 227-2600, 6 per cent. distilled. These fractions gave the following: -

The cineol determined by the phosphoric acid method was 29 per cent. (O.M.). The higher boiling portion consisted largely of the sesquiterpene.