Toonumbar National Park Murray Scrub January 1995

''Didymocheton rufus'' is a

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

tree in the family Meliaceae, found in eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It occurs on a variety of different soils and rainforest types. From as far south as Bulahdelah,

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

to the McIlwraith Range in far north eastern Australia. The specific epithet ''rufus'' refers to the rusty red of the leaf, fruit and flower hairs of this species.

Common names

''Didymocheton rufus'' is known variously by the common names Australian mahogany, bastard pencil cedar, false rosewood, hairy rosewood, rusty mahogany, red bean, red heart, and rusty bean.

Description

Usually a small to medium-sized tree. Though it reaches 40 metres tall with a stem diameter of 90 cm at Murray Scrub.

Leaves

Leaflets are nearly opposite on the stem, without serrations. Asymmetrical at the leaf base. Leaflets 5 to 17 cm long.

Lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

to broad lanceolate in shape with a fine point at the leaf tip. Unusually, the leaflets are a dull green above the leaf, and a brighter green below. Hairy under the leaf. Leaflet stalks 2 to 3 mm long, but much longer for the terminal leaflet, where it is up to 25 mm long. The compound leaf contains around 19 leaflets. With a stalk 4 to 10 cm long.

Flowers, fruit and regeneration

Pleasantly scented white flowers form on

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

s from December to February. The panicles form from the leaf axils. And when mature, the flower scent becomes less pleasant. The flower calyx is hairy. The fruit is a round yellowish capsule, around 2 cm in diameter, mostly five-valved. Also covered with hairs which can irritate the skin. Seeds inside the capsule are cream, irregular in shape, and about 5 mm in diameter. Fruit ripens from April to December. Regeneration from fresh seed is relatively swift and reliable, taking as little as three weeks. After eight weeks, germination should be complete with good results.

Timber

Onion scented wood. Mostly white with a red heartwood core which resembles the related Red Bean. Timber is vulnerable to attack from the lyctus borer.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q124564827, from2=Q5319533 rufus Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Endemic flora of Australia Trees of Australia Sapindales of Australia Plants described in 1834 Taxa named by Achille Richard