(Labill., PL Nov. Holl, ii, 13, t. 152, 1806.)

Systematic. - A small glaucous tree or shrub, with a smooth, deciduous bark. Leaves opposite, thinly coriaceous, obcordate, broadly ovate, ovate-acuminate, crenate, 2 to 3 inches long; venation not distinctly marked, lateral veins oblique, spreading and looping some distance from the edge. Peduncles axillary, terete, about 3 lines long, with three sessile flowers in the umbel. Calyx conical to cylindrical, about 3 lines in diameter; operculum depressed-hemispherical, obtuse or umbonate, much shorter than the calyx tube.

Fruit. - Depressed-globular, of a bluish colour, contracted below the orifice; rim not thick, the capsule somewhat sunk; valves not exserted; about 6 lines in diameter.

Fruits are distinct from any others, the nearest being some forms of E. goniocalyx.

Habitat. - Recherche Bay and Huon River, Huon Road, head of Hobart Water Supply, Tasmania.

REMARKS. - This Eucalypt is peculiar to Tasmania. Its nearest ally in Australia is Sim's E pulveru-. lenta The two, however, are quite distinct as recorded by Hooker, Sims, Robert Brown, and Bentham. Having visited Tasmania for the purpose of botanical investigation, we have now seen both trees in the field, and our observations quite agree with the classification of those botanists. This tree has an erect habit quite dissimilar to that of E. pulverulenta, with its "weak, green, almost clinging, stems." (Vide Note in this Work under E. pulverulent a.)

ESSENTIAL OIL. - Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were obtained from Tasmania, in March, 1902. The yield of oil was 2.3 per cent.; this is a very high yield for an oil rich in cineol, so that this species may be considered as one of the best of the cineol-pinene class of Eucalyptus oils, which do not contain phellandrene. The crude oil was of an orange-brown colour, and had an odour resembling the cineol-pinene oils generally. Volatile aldehydes were present in some quantity, and altogether the oil resembled in general chemical characters, those derived from E. pulverulenta and E. cinerea. Cineol was the most abundant constituent in the oil; dextro-rotatory pinene was present, but phellandrene was absent. Esters were present in some quantity for an oil of this class, and in this resembled those of the species above mertioned.

Plate XLVII.

W. Marshall, del

Eucalyptus Cordata, Labill

The crude oil had specific gravity at 150 C. = 0.9138; rotation aD + 8.5°; refractive index at 200 = 1.4638, and was soluble in 1 1/4 volumes 70 per cent. alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 14.85.

On rectification, 2 per cent. distilled below 1620 C. (corr.). Between 162-1830, 83 per cent. distilled; and between 183-1950, 11 per cent. distilled. These fractions gave the following results: -

The cineol, determined in the first fraction by the phosphoric acid method, was 62 per cent., or about 55 per cent. in the crude oil. (O.M.).

The above sample had been stored in the dark, and in February, 1920, was again analysed. The specific gravity had increased, as had also the cineol. 90 per cent, distilled below 1900 C. The crude oil and the rectified portion gave the following results: -

The cineol was determined by the rapid phosphoric and method in the rectified portion; when calculated for the crude oil the result was 65 per cent.

The oil was acetylated in the usual manner, when the saponification number had increased to 66, indicating the presence of about 12 per cent. of free alcohol.