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Useful Tropical Plants

Eucalyptus resinifera

Sm.

Myrtaceae

+ Synonyms

Eucalyptus hemilampra F.Muell.

Melaleuca gummifera Steud.

Common Name: Red Mahogany

Eucalyptus resinifera
Tree growing in native habitat
Photograph by: Brooker & Kleinig
Image credit to Australian National Botanic Gardens
Eucalyptus resinifera Eucalyptus resinifera Eucalyptus resinifera Eucalyptus resinifera Eucalyptus resinifera Eucalyptus resinifera

General Information

Eucalyptus resinifera is an evergreen tree with a compact crown; it can grow up to 45 metres tall. The straight bole, which can have a diameter of 100 - 150cm, is often unbranched for up to 30 metres[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
One of the best Australian hardwoods[
1658
Title
Eucalypts for Planting
Publication
FAO Forestry Series No.11
Author
Jacobs M.R.
Website
http://www.fao.org
Publisher
FAO; Rome
Year
1981
ISBN
92-5-100570-2
Description
An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
], the tree is sometimes gathered from the wild as a local food, and is also utilized for its timber. It is planted in many tropical to warm tropical countries as a timber crop[
1658
Title
Eucalypts for Planting
Publication
FAO Forestry Series No.11
Author
Jacobs M.R.
Website
http://www.fao.org
Publisher
FAO; Rome
Year
1981
ISBN
92-5-100570-2
Description
An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
365
Title
Flora of New South Wales
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
,
1660
Title
EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia
Publication
 
Author
Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canber
Website
http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/euclid/data/02050e02-0108-490e-8900-0e0601070d00/media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website dedicated to the genus Eucalyptus (sensu latu), with descriptions and nomencultural information on all the species.

Range

Eastern Australia - northern New South Wales, Queensland.

Habitat

Wet or dry sclerophyll forest on deeper soils of medium to high fertility[
365
Title
Flora of New South Wales
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height35.00 m
Growth RateFast
PollinatorsBees, Insects
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Eucalyptus resinifera is a plant of the moist tropics to the subtropics and warm temperate zones, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 16 - 34°c, but can tolerate 6 - 38°c[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It can be killed by temperatures of -4°c or lower, though new growth can be damaged by temperatures around zero[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 800 - 3,000mm[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Requires a sunny position, though young trees can tolerate some shade[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Succeeds in most soils, so long as they are well-drained[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
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[
1660
Title
EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia
Publication
 
Author
Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canber
Website
http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/euclid/data/02050e02-0108-490e-8900-0e0601070d00/media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website dedicated to the genus Eucalyptus (sensu latu), with descriptions and nomencultural information on all the species.
].
Trees can be coppiced[
1658
Title
Eucalypts for Planting
Publication
FAO Forestry Series No.11
Author
Jacobs M.R.
Website
http://www.fao.org
Publisher
FAO; Rome
Year
1981
ISBN
92-5-100570-2
Description
An excellent publication, rather dated now but with a wealth of information about the Eucalypts. It can be downloaded from the Internet as a PDF file.
].
Annual wood production potential is 5 - 20 cubic metres per hectarea[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Whilst most Eucalyptus species, grown in small numbers outside their native range, can be an attractive and useful addition to the landscape, certain species (including this one) are more problematic. When grown in monocultures, especially outside their native range, they can become an environmental disaster. They are voracious, especially in their use of water; they are allelopathic, inhibiting the growth of the native flora; they reduce habitats for native fauna; and encourage the worst possible attitudes to land use and conservation[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

A sweet drink is made from the sap[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

A manna is obtained from the tree[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Medicinal

A kino resin is obtained from the trunk. It is astringent[
601
Title
The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Maiden J.H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Turner & Co.; London.
Year
1889
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Kino is 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[
1096
Title
Native Tastes of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tasteaustralia.biz/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website with detailed information on around 50 species of native Australian food plants, including recipes.
].
The inner bark has been rubbed onto the skin in the treatment of venereal disease[
1096
Title
Native Tastes of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tasteaustralia.biz/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website with detailed information on around 50 species of native Australian food plants, including recipes.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar and pollen for bees[
1660
Title
EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia
Publication
 
Author
Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canber
Website
http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/euclid/data/02050e02-0108-490e-8900-0e0601070d00/media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website dedicated to the genus Eucalyptus (sensu latu), with descriptions and nomencultural information on all the species.
,
1661
Title
Flora of South-eastern Queensland (3 volumes)
Publication
Queensland Department of Primary Industries; Miscellaneous Publication 81020
Author
Stanley T.D. & Ross E.M.
Publisher
Queensland Government; Queensland
Year
1983
ISBN
0-7242-2127-1
Description
 
].

Other Uses

Kino (a red substance resembling resin) is obtained from the tree[
601
Title
The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Maiden J.H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Turner & Co.; London.
Year
1889
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Rich in tannins, it is readily soluble in water producing a clear solution[
601
Title
The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Maiden J.H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Turner & Co.; London.
Year
1889
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. It can be used as an astringent in medicine and for tanning.

The bark is a source of tannins[
601
Title
The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Maiden J.H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Turner & Co.; London.
Year
1889
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

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 up to 0.7% essential oil. The main components include pinene, 1,8-cineole (around 72& in some forms), [
1659
Title
Eucalyptus Leaf Oils: Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing
Publication
Phytochemistry June 1992
Author
Southwell I.A.
Website
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(92)80403-2
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
An extensive list of Eucalyptus species and their essential oil content.
].

The heartwood is dark red; the sapwood pale pink. The wood is moderately coarse-textured; the grain somewhat interlocked. The wood is strong, tough, hard and durable in the soil. It is easy to work and finishes well. Much prized for its strength and durability, it is considered to be one of the best Australian hardwoods and is used for piles, flooring, cladding, panelling, sills, bridge decking, boat building, railway sleepers and general construction purposes[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
The wood is used for fuel and for making charcoal[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a sunny position and make sure the compost is not allowed to dry out[
11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
78
Title
Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
Publication
 
Author
Sheat. W. G.
Publisher
MacMillan and Co
Year
1948
ISBN
-
Description
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
,
134
Title
Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
Publication
 
Author
Rice. G. (Editor)
Publisher
Thompson and Morgan.
Year
1988
ISBN
-
Description
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2°c[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. 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[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Eucalyptus+resinifera>

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