Stenocarpus salignus, known as the Scrub Beefwood is an Australian rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

 tree in the Proteaceae

Proteaceae

Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...

 family. Found in warmer rainforests on the coast and ranges. It is often found in warm temperate rainforest on poorer sedimentary soils, or on volcanic soils above 750 metres (2500 ft) above sea level. It was originally described by the botanist Robert Brown

Robert Brown (botanist)

Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...

 in 1810.

Stenocarpus salignus is noticeable for the tessellated bark and the sparse foliage high in the canopy. The range of natural distribution is from Kioloa (35° S) near Batemans Bay in south coastal 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...

, to Rockhampton, Queensland

Rockhampton, Queensland

Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....

 (23° S) in tropical 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...

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Description

The scrub beefwood is a shrub or small tree, occasionally up to 30 metres (100 ft) tall and 60 cm (24 in) in trunk diameter. The trunk is often irregular and buttressed with dark brown scaly bark.

The leaves are wavy edged, with between one and three main longitudinal veins. Leaves are alternate, simple entire, ovate to lanceolate or elliptic. Leaves have a noticeable hard point, and at the other end they gradually taper to the base. Glossy dark green above, and paler below; 8 to 15 cm (3-6 in) long, 3 to 5 cm (1-2 in) wide. There is considerable variation in leaves of this species.

In October to January, white fragrant flowers form in umbel

Umbel

An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....

s, similar to the flowers of the related Grevillea

Grevillea

Grevillea is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville. The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 0.5 m tall to trees...

. This is followed by the development of the seed pods which are narrow follicle

Follicle (fruit)

In botany, a follicle is a dry unilocular many-seeded fruit formed from one carpel and dehiscing by the ventral suture in order to release seeds, such as in larkspur, magnolia, banksia, peony and milkweed....

s, 5 to 10 cm long, green initially and maturing to a brown colour. Inside are many thin papery oblong shaped seeds around 12 mm long. Fruit matures from March to June. Fresh seeds germinate rapidly, cuttings also strike well.

Cultivation

This species is sometimes seen in specialist native nurseries in Eastern Australia; it grows well in part shade on well drained mildly acidic soils. it is less commonly grown than its better known relative S. sinuatus

Stenocarpus sinuatus

Stenocarpus sinuatus, known as the Firewheel Tree is an Australian rainforest tree in the Protea family. The range of natural distribution is in various rainforest types from the Nambucca River in New South Wales to the Atherton Tableland in tropical Queensland...

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