Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3
Volume 1 Number 1 January- February,1952 Article 14
1-1952
Trees of W.A. Jarrah and Karri
C. A. Gardner
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Recommended Citation Gardner, C. A. (1952) "Trees of W.A. Jarrah and Karri," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3: Vol. 1 : No. 1 , Article 14. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3/vol1/iss1/14
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Journall of agriculture Vol. 1 19 Jan.-Feb., 1952] JOURNALOF AGRICULTURE, W.A. 77 TREES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA *2*
C. A. GARDNER, (Government Botanist)
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TN commencing this series, in which a large number of trees will be dealt with, •I first place must be given to the species of Eucalyptus which include, besides the gum-trees, the various shrubs and mallees which make up a considerable part of the woody flora of South-Western Australia.
It is hoped that these articles may sometimes distinct, sometimes obscure, prove of interest and value, for apart and sometimes the intramarginal nerve from the trees which provide us with may be so close to the leaf-margin as our local timber, some species of to be contiguous with it. The leaf con Eucalyptus yield valuable tannins, sists typically of a leaf blade or lamina and a number, especially the mallees, attached to the branchlet by a special are valuable for the oil which they con stalk or petiole, frequently twisted, so tain in their leaves, and for their pollen that the leaf assumes a vertical pen and nectar which are of primary im dulous position; at other times the leaf portance to the apiarist. is stalkless or sessile, and in a few species two opposite leaves may be join DESCRIPTION ed at their bases (connate) to resemble And so, in the first place, it is as well a single leaf pierced by the branchlet. to consider just what constitutes a The position of the leaves is usually Eucalyptus. They are all woody plants alternate, i.e., on opposite sides of the —that is they are trees or shrubs—and branchlet but placed one above the all have simple entire leaves of more or other; at other times they are strictly less leathery texture. The leaf has a opposite to each other. single midrib or central nerve, and The presence of oil in the fresh leaves typically what are termed lateral nerves may be detected by holding them up to which arise and diverge from this mid the light, when the oil cavities will rib usually to terminate in what is term appear as translucent dots. In the ed an intramarginal nerve which may dried leaves this character is not usu be close to, or remote from the leaf- ally evident, but there may be some margin. In some tropical species there indication of oil as dark spots, or min are two intramarginal nerves. ute depressions on the leaf-surfaces. The lateral nerves may be more or The leaves are usually of the same less parallel, or anastomose, with one colour on both surfaces, when they are another, forming a network of nerves, said to be concolorous, or they may be
!! Journal of agriculture Vol. 1 1952 78 JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, W.A. [Jan.-Feb. 1952
dark above and paler underneath. They These consist of a stalk or filament, and are typically smooth and without hairs at the top an anther which contains the (glabrous), or they may have a sparse pollen. The anther opens by two cells, covering of short rigid hairs. or by circular or elliptical pores; most frequently these are longitudinally Flowers. parallel to each other. Sometimes by The arrangement of the flowers is upward confluence they appear as a usually constant in any given species, single curved slit. The filament is and the terms used may be understood attached to the anther at the base of with reference to the plates accompany the latter, when the anther is said to ing the articles; usually the flowers are be basiftxed, or it may be attached at arranged at the top of a stalk which the back, when it is dorsiflxed, or versa arises from the point of junction of the tile, and moves freely on its pivot. leaf and branchlet (the leaf axil). This There is a large or small gland on the stalk is termed the peduncle. The back of the anther. flowers may each possess their own special stalk (pedicel), or may be stalk- Fruits or Seeds. less, when they are said to be sessile. After pollination and fertilisation the The pedicels, or the sessile flowers in stamens wither or fall off, and the calyx- most cases are clustered at the top of tube undergoes some modification to the peduncle; when pedicellate, the form the fruit;—popularly called the group (inflorescence) is an umbel; when "gum-nut." This contains the capsule sessile, the flowers are in a head, and which in turn contains the seeds. The termed capitate. space at the top between the place occu The Eucalyptus flower is a simple pied by the stamens and the edge of the structure, for there are no sepals and capsule is termed the "disc," and this petals. The lower part of the bud, varies considerably in the different which becomes the cup of the flower, species, being sometimes flat as in the and enlarges or hardens to form the Tuart, domed, as in the Bullich, or it fruit is termed the calyx-tube, and is may extend vertically down to the cap usually truncate or flat at the summit. sule lining the calyx-tube, as in the Occasionally the sepals are represented Karri, or the Yorrel and Morrel. The by four small teeth close to or at the seeds vary considerably both in size and summit of the calyx-tube, and these are in shape; often they are minute, but always four in number. They may be sometimes as in the Marri and the Red- seen to advantage on a number of tropi Flowered Gum, for example, they are cal species, and on the Tallerack of the large, and sometimes winged. southern sand-heaths between Albany In addition to the fertile seeds, and Esperance, or again on the Illyarrie usually found in the lower part of the (Eucalyptus erythrocorys). The petals capsule, there are a number of sterile are quite absent, but their place is taken seeds, differing considerably from the by a bud-cap, called the operculum, and fertile seeds and usually narrow. These this is probably derived from the hard form what is called the "packing" in ened and concrete petals. It is indeed the upper part of the capsule, and are this operculum that is the most char the first to be shed when the capsule acteristic feature of Eucalyptus, and opens its valves. from which the genus derives its name— eu = well, and kalyptos = covered. The shape of the seed-leaves—those embryonic leaves which are the first to When the bud cap falls off at anthesis expand when the seed germinates—is (flowering time) the stamens expand. of importance in respect to the relation-
Journal of agriculture Vol. 1 1952 Jan.-Peb., 1952] JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, W.A. 79 ships of species. There are two main types: the broad cotyledons of the JARRAH Jarrah and Marri, for example, and the (Eucalyptus marginata Sm.) Y-shaped or forked cotyledons of the This tree, the principal timber tree Mallets and a large number of the in of Western Australia occurs in South land trees and mallees. western Australia, and its boundary inland is determined by the winter isohyet of 30 inches. Trees and Shrubs. It thus extends as far inland as The Eucalyptus species can be con Mooliabeenie, Clackline, Narrogin, veniently classified according to their thence west of the Great Southern growth form into trees and shrubs, the Railway, to extend eastwards again in latter branching at or near the base, the vicinity of Tenterden, and embrac and without any distinct trunk. Of the ing the Stirling Range, finally termin shrubby forms we recognise mallees ating near the Warriup Hills. Its and marlocks; the former with a sub northern limits are on Mount Peron, terranean somewhat bulbous stock cap near Jurien Bay. It is typically asso able of putting forth new stems at ciated with the ironstone soils of the intervals (as for example after bush- Darling Range in the northern portion fires) and repeating this performance of its range, and indeed, it is found indefinitely, in some cases for over a everywhere within its area of distribu century. Those shrubby forms which tion where ironstone is present. In do not possess a bulbous base are term addition it grows in the sandy soils of ed marlocks, examples being Eucalyptus the coastal plain between Gingin and macrocarpa, and many others. Some southwards to the Albany district. times, however, a mallee may be a mar- It is a stringybark, i.e., it has a lock, and sometimes some of the inland fibrous, stringy, longitudinally-fissured trees may become mallees under certain bark which is strong. The timber is a conditions, as for example injury to the. deep red, and on this account it earned trunk from termites, or from bushfires. for the tree the early name of "Swan In Western Australia we use the term River mahogany." In certain places gum-tree in a very wide sense. In the mallee forms are to be observed, par Eastern States, especially in Queens ticularly on the southern slopes of land and New South Wales, and also in Mount Lesueur, and on the slopes of the Kimberley district of Western Aus the Stirling Range. Otherwise, it is a tralia such terms as "gum," "box," tree, and the largest forms are to be "stringy-bark," "messmate," "half-box," found in the southern parts of its range etc., are in common use. The "gum as a forest tree attaining a height of tree" properly is a tree like a Karri, 135 feet. that is, with a perfectly smooth bark, of which the outermost layers are shed VALUABLE TIMBER annually. The Marri or Redgum is Jarrah timber has long been a popu really a bloodwood, a tree with a friable lar article of commerce. It is hard, dense rough bark, and usually kino or resin and easily worked and has a high de in the wood or bark; the Tuart is a gree of resistance to attacks of fungi "box tree", and the York-gum a half- and termites. box, i.e., it has a rough or "box" bark Prior to the development of concrete on the trunk, the branches being and asphalt road surfaces, many famous smooth. These terms will be explained thoroughfares throughout the world under the various trees discussed. were paved with Jarrah blocks, and its
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.• '' i A .' «i:**rja 4 MBSC-*- E i* -* l of agriculture Vol. 1 1952^ Jan.-Feb., 1952] JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, W.A. 81 durability has led to its extensive use diameter, contracted at the top, with a as railway sleepers. narrow, usually flat, disc, and the valves Used as a general purpose timber in of the capsule are enclosed. The seed- this State, owing to our lack of indi leaves are kidney-shaped and taper at genous softwoods, Jarrah is highly their bases into the petiole. regarded in other States and countries where it is favoured for cabinet making, panelling and ornamental woodwork. The possession of a Jarrah-floored KARRI house is a matter for pride in other (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) countries and of late years there has The Karri tree is the largest, or more been an increasing overseas demand for strictly the tallest tree of Western Aus Jarrah flooring boards. tralia, attaining a height of 250 feet. It Jarrah is not highly regarded as a is a true gum tree, having' a smooth bark, honey-yielding tree. It would appear the outer layer of which sheds annually that very little nectar is available in in rather large thick plates. It received the Jarrah forests but the coastal the name "diversicolor" because of the stands yield fairly large quantities of varying colours of the bark at the time a somewhat dark-coloured and strongly- of the year when the older bark is shed. flavoured honey. This honey is more At this time the new bark, a bright suitable for blending than for use in orange-yellow in colour, contrasts its natural state. strongly with the newly exposed bark, while underneath the shedding plates, DESCRIPTION OF PLANT the bark is white. Karri bark is thick, The leaves are alternate, stalked, and rich in tannin, and yellow in fracture. narrowly lance-shaped, somewhat dull The heartwood is red, and closely re green above and paler underneath, the sembles that of the Jarrah. Indeed the midrib prominent, the lateral nerves resemblance is so close that the two spreading, and the intramarginal nerve timbers are difficult to distinguish one extending within the leaf margin and from the other, and the bushman's test distinct from this margin. of a burning splinter (leaving a white The flowers are arranged in umbels of ash for karri, and a black or grey ash from four to eight flowers on slender for jarrah) is frequently employed to pedicels thickening gradually upwards distinguish between them. into the calyx-tube. The calyx-tube is obconical (i.e., reversed-conical), and FOR LONG, STRONG BEAMS the operculum narrow-conical and acute and longer than the calyx-tube. Although it lacks the high degree of The stamens are numerous, in a con termite-resistance which has made tinuous series, with white filaments Jarrah famous, Karri timber is a valu sharply kinked when in the bud; the able hardwood for superstructural work. anthers are heart-shaped, and the two It is slightly more dense than Jarrah slits are contiguous at the summit, and considerably stronger. Its strength making as it were one crescent-shaped and rigidity and the extraordinarily slit. The attachment of the anther to long clean lengths which may be the filament is close above the base, obtained have earned it the title of and there is a small gland at the top "The Beam Timber." of the anther. The fruit is stalked It is widely used for flooring and in (pedicellate) and more or less spherical, recent years, "peeler logs" of Karri have up to three-quarters of an inch in been sliced for veneers and plywood. Journal of agriculture Vol. 1 1952 82 JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, W. A . [Jan.-Feb. 1952 AB ( a t m a la a Sl ) A Flowerln twl umbrelnbreY,- CC.—Fruit^^vs^ I>-Sectio^ Hnr, tn >fS?througi.h fruit, ?;; E-Anthers-^ - ; F-Seedlingg s: Al-Leaf-venation, showing expande; dB-Fruitln cotyledongs KA . , ,\ KRI (Eucalyptus diverslcolor F. Muell). A—Leaf; B—Umbel showing buds- o nmh»i ^^.S^SMSS oTy^ng^lea^: ^^^ ^eedllng^VwTn^a^d Journal of agriculture Vol. 1 1952 Jan.-Peb., 1952] JOURNALOF AGRICULTURE, W.A. 83 Karri honey is a high-grade product (round in section) or compressed widely recognised as the best honey peduncle, and the flowers are pedicel produced in this State. It is a light- late. coloured clear honey with a delicate The calyx-tube is narrow—almost flavour and excellent consistency and cylindrical—and tapers gradually at the the Karri forests usually contribute base into the pedicel. The operculum about 25 per cent, of all the table honey is almost hemispherical or shortly and produced in Western Australia. broadly ovoid-conical, much shorter The main honey flows occur about than the calyx-tube. The numerous every four or five years and records stamens are in a continuous ring, the show that an extra heavy flow occurs white filaments toeing inflected inwards about every 15 years. Averages of five when in the bud. cwt. of excellent honey per hive are The anthers are almost oblong in out fairly common during these heavy flow line and attached near the middle of periods. the back (dorsal insertion), and open in distinct parallel longitudinal slits, DESCRIPTION OF PLANT and there is a large dorsal gland. The leaves of the Karri are alternate The fruit is pear-shaped (pyriform) and petiolate, rather broadly lanceo and contracted at the summit, slightly late, dark green above and paler more than half an inch in diameter, underneath, and more spreading than with a narrow rim. The capsule is pendulous—an unusual character in deeply enclosed within the fruiting South-Western Australian trees. calyx and the valves are also included. The cotyledons (seed-leaves), upon The lateral nerves are fine, spread at expansion after germination, are a rather wide angle from the midrib, broadly kidney-shaped and taper into and the intramarginal nerve is removed short stalks. The foliage of the young from the leaf margin. The umbels leaves is broad and delicate, and per consist of from three to six flowers sists on the young trees until they are arranged at the summit of a terete many feet in height. 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