Prized timber used for dance floors

Tall tree to 40 m in dry rainforest (complex microphyll closed forest) extending into eucalypt forest valued as a timber, especially for flooring. Smaller when planted in the open. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, crowded towards the end of branches, usually, leaflets 3-13, usually 5-9, narrow- to broad-elliptic, or narrow-ovate, up to 13 cm long, apex acute to obtuse, base obtuse to cuneate and often asymmetric, both surfaces glossy green with lower surface paler, oil dots prominent; lateral petiolules to 3 mm long, terminal petiolule longer (up to 30 mm).

Photo: Robert Whyte

Attractive bronze new growth in summer. White flowers in panicles August to February. Flowers attract Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus aegeus butterflies, bees, wasps, moths, honeyeaters and fruit and blossom bats. High branches provide nesting and resting sites for birds.

New growth in summer. Photo: Robert Whyte

Fruit is a woody capsule covered with short blunt prickles, splitting into 5 boat-shaped valves. Ripe April to November. Often used in floral arrangements.

Fruit close-up. Photo: Robert Whyte

This photo shows the open fruit after the seeds have been expelled. Photo: Anne Jones

The Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus aegeus lays its eggs on Rutacea, upon which the caterpillars feed, and go through stages until they form a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly.

Caterpillars of Orchard Swallowtail on young tree. Photo: Robert Whyte

Seed collecting and propagation

Fruit is a woody capsule covered with short blunt prickles, splitting into 5 boat-shaped valves. Ripe April to November. Often used in floral arrangements. Seeds are papery and germinate readily when fresh, about 2 to 8 weeks. Seed can be stored for a long period in the fridge, still retaining good viability. It may also be grown from root suckers.

Immature fruit. Photo: Robert Whyte