Common Name: Coolibah

General Information

Eucalyptus microtheca is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 - 20 metres tall depending on growing conditions. The bole may reach a diameter of 100 cm. The bole can be from very short to 1/3 of the tree height. In dry sites the tree is poorly formed with a straggly crown[].
The tree is a traditional food crop and medicine of the Australian aborigines and, because of its potentially very fast growth, could be used as a timber crop.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia.

Habitat

Usually found on seasonally inundated clay to clay-loam soils around the edges of swamps or lagoons, or along watercourses[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus microtheca is a plant of the arid and semiarid tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 39°c, but can tolerate 5 - 45°c[]. It can be killed by temperatures of -4°c or lower, though new growth will be damaged if the temperature falls to zero[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 250 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 150 - 1,200mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Succeeds in most soils of at least moderate fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 8, tolerating 6 - 9[]. The plant often experiences inundation for part of the year and is also able to withstand up to 7 months drought[].
The plant develops a lignotuber - this is a woody tuber that starts to develop near the base of seedlings and can become massive in the mature plants of some species. It possesses embedded vegetative buds, allowing the plant to regenerate following crown destruction, for example by fire[].
A potentially very fast-growing species if there is sufficient water, on suitable sites the growth may reach 3 metres per year[]. Under irrigation it should be possible to grow the tree in deserts[].
The tree can be harvested after 8 years from a seedling crop and after 6 years from subsequent coppice crops[].
Annual wood production potential is 3 - 7 cubic metres per hectare[].
The tree is fire tender[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are powdered and made into cakes which are baked and eaten[].

This is one of several species of plant used by native Australians as a source of water where no free water was available. The roots were dug up, the bark removed and the roots cut into sections. These were then stood on end in a container into which the sap would drip, providing an often life-saving drink[, ].

The plant is a source of 'lerp' - a sweet, manna-like substance[]. Lerps are waxy scale-like coverings constructed by the immature stage (nymphs) of several species of sap-sucking insects. They serve as a protection whilst the nymphs are feeding and are left behind when the insect pupates. They were a traditional food of the Australian Aborigines[].

Medicinal

The inner bark is a traditional Abiriginal medicine, mashed and prepared into a poultice to treat snakebite[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is planted for shelterbelts, shade, soil conservation, and erosion control. Mentioned as a possible agroforestry species[].
The flowers are an excellent source of nectar and pollen for bees[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the leaves. Total quantity of the oil, and its composition, can vary widely from plant to plant, but we have reports that the fresh leaves contain around 0.3 - 0.5% essential oil. The main components include pinene, phellandrene, 1,8-cineole, cymene, globulol[].

The heartwood is reddish-brown or reddish; the sapwood is grey[]. The wood is remarkably hard, heavy and
elastic[]. It is useful in construction, though perhaps too hard for cabinet-work; it is used for durable poles, fenceposts, bearings, bolts, shafts, frames and wheels[, ]. It is neither very much used nor valued[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a sunny position and make sure the compost is not allowed to dry out[, , ]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the second set of seed leaves has developed, if left longer than this they might not move well. The seedlings are ready for planting in the field when they are 25 - 30 cm tall, usually after 3 - 4 months.
The seed has a long viability[].

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