Notes on economic plants

Abstract

Occurrence of Cis-Monoenoic Fatty Acids in Two Seed Oils of Pittosporum (Pittosporaeeae). -- As part of our search for new sources of oils, seeds of Pittosporum crassifolium Banks & Soland. ex A. Cunn. and Pittosporum undulatum Vent. (Pittosporaceae) have been analysed for crude protein content, oil content, and fatty acid composition. These are cultivated as ornamental plants in Australia. Seeds were collected locally and identified by the National Herbarium, Melbourne. Air-dried and crushed seeds were extracted with hexane in a soxhlet apparatus. Crude protein and oil contents were determined according to procedures recommended by the American Oil Chemists' Society (1).