(Schau., in Walp. Rep., ii, 924, 1843.) Red Box.

Systematic. - A fair-sized tree, with a persistent "Box" bark right out to the branchlets. Leaves oval, ovate-acuminate or emarginate to lanceolate, the latter form about 3 inches long, and the former generally under 3 inches in diameter, glaucous, thin to almost coriaceous, petiole rather slender, measuring sometimes over 1 inch long; venation strongly marked, intramarginal vein removed from the edge, particularly so in the abnormal leaves, lateral veins oblique, distant. Flowers in terminal or axillary panicles. Calyx under 2 lines, tapering into a short pedicel; operculum hemispherical, shortly acuminate.

Fruit. - Hemispherical or pear-shaped on a rather slender pedicel; rim thin, contracted, notched; valves inserted; under 3 lines in diameter.

Could easily be confused with E. Fletcheri and perhaps E. melanophloia, but less pilular than the latter.

Habitat. - Pambula, Bungendore, Albury, Delegate River, New South Wales; Queensland and Victoria.

REMARKS. - This tree is characterised principally by its hard, red timber and persistent " Box" bark. It is very difficult to differentiate herbarium material of this species from that of E. Fletcheri, R.T.B., but in the field the two are easily determined. The chemistry of the oils of the two trees also shows them to be dissimilar. E. ovalifolia, R.T.B., which is also locally known by the name of "Red Box," is not to be confounded with E. polyanthemos, Schau.. as it has a smooth white bark and characteristic leaves, which differ from those of E. polyanthemos and E:. Fletcheri. " Slaty Gum." E. Dawsoni, R.T.B., is also quite a distinct tree from E. polyanthemos, Schau. (Vide also chemistry of oils of these species in this work.)

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were obtained from Bungendore, N.S.W., in July, 1898. The yield of oil was 0.83 per cent. The crude oil was of a light amber colour, and had an odour resembling those of the cineol-pinene class of Eucalyptus oils. It was rich in cineol, contained some pinene, but phellandrene was absent. The oil may be considered a good one for pharmaceutical purposes, although the esters were present in rather large amount. Unfortunately the yield of oil is somewhat small.

The crude oil had specific gravity at 15° C. = 0.9281; rotation aD + 5.4°; refractive index at 200 = .-4679, and was soluble in 1 1/4 volumes of 70 per cent. alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 20.7.

On rectification, the usual amount of acid water and aldehydes came over below 170° C. (corr.). Between 170-1830, 83 per cent. distilled; between 183-2240, 10 per cent. came over, and between 224-2400, only 2 per cent. distilled, which portion consisted largely of a sesquiterpene. These fractions gave the following: -

The cineol determined by the phosphoric acid method in the large traction was 65 per cent., or about 54 per cent, in the crude oil (O.M.).

The above sample of oil was stored in the dark, and in August, 1919, was again analysed. But little alteration had taken place in the oil during the twenty-one years it had been kept, although the specific gravity had slightly increased, perhaps the cineol had increased a little also, judging from the results with the large fraction.

On rectification, go per cent, of the oil distilled below 190o C. The results obtained were as follows: -

The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the portion boiling below 190°; when calculated for the crude oil, the result was 81 per cent. By the phosphoric acid method it was 65 per cent., so that absorbable substances, other than cineol and alcohols, were present in some quantity. This is shown by the results after acetylation, as the saponification number was then only 20.6.