Common Name: Carbeen

General Information

Corymbia tessellaris is an evergreen tree with a fairly dense crown; it can grow from 12 - 35 metres tall. The bole is shortish according to one report[], whilst another says that it is of good form, around 50 - 65% of the total tree height and up to 100cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood and for local use as a medicine. It is grown as an ornamental in parks and larger gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - eastern Queensland, northern New South Wales

Habitat

Mainly found in open forest, commonly on sandy soils[]. Plains and undulaing land; at elevations up to 450 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Corymbia tessellaris is native to the tropical and subtropical climate of eastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 500 metres. Rainfall occurs mainly in the summer, with a mean annual rainfall within the range 375 - 1,500mm and a dry season that is severe of up to 7 months. The mean maximum temperature of the hottest month is 36 - 38°c; mean minimum temperature of the coldest month is 4°c, and there are generally around zero to 15 frosts a year[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[].
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a wide range of well-drained soils of high fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[].
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[].
An attractive tree, it has limited prospects as a plantation crop because it is not a fast-growing species, though it has proved to be of satisfactory growth in some dry areas of northeast Brazil and India[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the bark is drunk as a treatment for dysentry[].
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

A small quantity of essential oil is obtained from the leaves. Total quantity of the oil, and its composition, can vary from plant to plant, but we have reports that the fresh leaves contain up to 0.2% essential oil. The main components include 1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene, aromadendrene, limonene, globulol[].

A kino resin is obtained from the trunk. Kino resins are rich in tannins and are very astringent. They can be used medicinally, in tanning, as well as for preserving and dyeing natural fibres. The resin oozes naturally from wounds in the trunk and can be tapped by making incisions in the bark. At first it is a thick liquid, but soon hardens upon exposure to the air and sun, typically drying to an amber-like material that consists of dark red angular fragments, rarely larger than a pea.

The brown to dark chocolate brown wood has a close interlocked grain. It is strong, hard and tough, with a density of 960 - 1,000 kilos per cubic metre, rather greasy, not durable in contact with the ground. The wood is fairly easy to work, dresses well; it is used in construction work not in contact with the ground[, ].

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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