Austrobuxus swainii
Encyclopedia
Austrobuxus swainii is a rare rainforest
tree in the Picrodendraceae
family. It is endemic to north east New South Wales
and south eastern Queensland
, Australia
. Occurring from the Bellinger River
in the south to Tallebudgera Creek
in the north. The common names are Pink Cherry or Hairybark. The habitat is less fertile sedimentary based soils, often associated with the Coachwood
, in high rainfall areas. Listed on ROTAP
, as a threatened species, with a rating of 3RCa.
s.
Leaves 7 to 14 cm long, 2 to 4 cm wide. Lanceolate in shape, opposite on the stem with around 40 small teeth on the leaf edges. Leaf stalks up to 10 mm long. Old red leaves can be seen in the canopy.
s from April to June. Tiny flowers 4 petalled. The panicle is around 25 mm long, forming from the forks of the leaves. The fruit is a dark brown or black capsule, around 13 mm long, with two protruding styles at the fruit's apex. The capsule splits into four parts with two glossy brown seeds, 6 mm long. Fruit mature from February to March. Fresh seed or cuttings are advised for regeneration.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree in the Picrodendraceae
Picrodendraceae
Picrodendraceae is a family of flowering plants, consisting of 80 species in 24 genera. These are subtropical to tropical and found in New Guinea, Australia, New Caledonia, Madagascar, continental Africa as well as tropical America....
family. It is endemic to north east New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and south eastern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Occurring from the Bellinger River
Bellinger River
The Bellinger River is a river on the mid north coast of New South Wales. Clement Hodgkinson was the first person to explore the area in March 1841....
in the south to Tallebudgera Creek
Tallebudgera Creek
Tallebudgera Creek is a large creek on the Gold Coast which runs from the Springbrook Plateau in the west through Tallebudgera Valley to the southern slopes of Burleigh Mountain at Burleigh Heads and the Pacific Ocean in the east...
in the north. The common names are Pink Cherry or Hairybark. The habitat is less fertile sedimentary based soils, often associated with the Coachwood
Coachwood
Ceratopetalum apetalum, Coachwood, also called Scented Satinwood or Tarwood, is a medium-sized hardwood tree, straight-growing with smooth, fragrant, greyish bark. It is in the family Cunoniaceae...
, in high rainfall areas. Listed on ROTAP
ROTAP
Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, usually abbreviated to ROTAP, is a list of rare or threatened Australian plant taxa. Developed and maintained by the CSIRO, the most recent edition lists 5031 taxa. The list uses a binary coding system based on the IUCN Red List categories for "Presumed...
, as a threatened species, with a rating of 3RCa.
Description
A medium to large tree, 40 metres tall and a trunk diameter of one metre. The trunk is not cylindrical, flanged or irregular, somewhat buttressed at the base. Bark is scaly, grey or brown. Bark sheds in irregular patches, leaving slight depressions. Small branches are slender, grey or fawn in colour. Dotted with many pale lenticelLenticel
A lenticel is an airy aggregation of cells within the structural surfaces of the stems, roots, and other parts of vascular plants. It functions as a pore, providing a medium for the direct exchange of gasses between the internal tissues and atmosphere, thereby bypassing the periderm, which would...
s.
Leaves 7 to 14 cm long, 2 to 4 cm wide. Lanceolate in shape, opposite on the stem with around 40 small teeth on the leaf edges. Leaf stalks up to 10 mm long. Old red leaves can be seen in the canopy.
Flowers & fruit
Yellow or green flowers form on paniclePanicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
s from April to June. Tiny flowers 4 petalled. The panicle is around 25 mm long, forming from the forks of the leaves. The fruit is a dark brown or black capsule, around 13 mm long, with two protruding styles at the fruit's apex. The capsule splits into four parts with two glossy brown seeds, 6 mm long. Fruit mature from February to March. Fresh seed or cuttings are advised for regeneration.