Common Name:

General Information

Corymbia papuana is an evergreen tree with a large, spreading crown; it can grow from 5 - 40 metres tall. The bole, which is usually short, may reach 100cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern Australia - Queensland, to southern New Guinea.

Habitat

The tree grows on a wide range of topography varying from alluvial flats and undulating country to hills, plateaux and cliff faces and it can also be found along drainage lines and on swampy sites[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	18.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the arid to moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 900 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 46°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 250 - 1,500mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Succeeds in light to medium, well-drained soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[].
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[].

Edible Uses

A type of honeydew or manna is obtained from under the bark[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the bark has been drunk as a treatment for colds[].
The bark infusion can be used to bathe sore eyes[].
Kino resin, obtained from the bark and trunk, is very astringent. Diluted, it can be taken internally as an effective treatment for dysentery, working because it is not absorbed at all from the stomach and only very slowly from the intestine, and is thus able to directly treat the lower part of the intestine. It can be used as a gargle and mouthwash to treat relaxed throat, loose teeth[, ].
Applied externally as a wash, it is an effective styptic and can used to treat cuts and skin problems[].

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 - 0.7% essential oil. The main component is papuanone (around 70%)[].

The heartwood is dark red-brown; the sapwood narrow and pale. The wood is not very hard. The timber is used for purposes such as fencing, steps and door and window sills[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a seedtray in a sunny position and do not allow the compost 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. Seedlings are planted out in the field when they reach a height of about 25 cm. This should coincide with the onset of the rainy season in tropical countries[].
The seed has a long viability[].

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