Fasting growing when young

Medium tree growing to 20 metres. Branchlets, petioles and terminal buds hairy. Found in subtropical and dry rainforest, endemic to Australia, ranging from Port Macquarie, NSW to Atherton Tableland, Queensland. Cut timber smells like onions. Leaves are compound, alternate, pinnate, leaflets 11-21. Leaflets are soft, dull dark to grey green above, paler and densely hairy below. Leaflets are lanceolate, narrowly unequal-sided at base and gradually tapering to a point at apex. Nine to 20 cm long. Flowers are white, five petals, hairy, in panicles from leaf axils. Flower from January to February. The species is an attractive shade tree for large gardens and parks. Flowers are pleasantly perfumed when young but odour becomes offensive with age. Small to medium tree in cultivated state, fast growing when young. Not edible.

Flower. Photo: Paul Donatiu © 2002

Foliage. Photo: David Somerville © 2002

Seed collecting and propagation

Fruit is capsule, yellow brown, hairy, 4 to 5 lobed, 2cm in diameter. Seeds, several, cream. Ripe June to September. Seeds should be sown fresh.

Fruit. Photo: Paul Donatiu © 2002