Eucalyptus pilularis
Encyclopedia
Eucalyptus pilularis, commonly known as Blackbutt, is a common and dominant tree of the myrtaceae
family native to southeastern Australia
. A large tree, it is identified by the stocking of rough bark, to about half way up the trunk, above this is white smooth bark. The leaves are a uniform glossy to dark green and the white flowers occur from September to March. Blackbutt is the predominant tree species seen on the drive on the Pacific Highway
between Taree
and Coffs Harbour. Blackbutt is a koala food tree. Economically, it is one of Australia's most important hardwoods.
, the species name of pilularis refers to the Latin
pilula, (small pill or rounded knob), referring to the shape of the gumnuts.
The common name blackbutt refers to the black base of the tree after fires. The type specimen was collected from Sydney
in the year 1794. First published in 1797 in Linnean Society of London
(3, 284) by James Edward Smith
.
Within the genus Eucalyptus
, it lies in the subgenus Eucalyptus and the section Pseudophloius, a group united by rough but not stringy bark, large opposite juvenile and glossy green adult leaves. Their leaves have adensely reticulated pattern, and the seed is red-brown, and smooth and pyramidal in shape.
A taxon once described as E. pilularis var. pyriformis has been reclassified as the species E. pyrocarpa.
Blackbutt has dark fibrous grey-brown spongy bark covering the lower part of the trunk, which comes away in strips. The bark higher up and on the branches is a glossy cream, occasionally with scribbles from insect larvae. The branchlets are square in cross section. Juvenile specimens are conspicuous, with pairs of opposite, broad-lanceolate leaves, much paler below the leaf than above which may reach 17 cm (6.8 in) long by 4 cm (1.6 in) wide. Blackbutt is a eucalyptus species without a lignotuber
. The adult leaves are arranged alternately on the stem, lanceolate to slightly sickle shaped, 9 to 16 cm (3.6-6.4 in) long, and 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6-1.2 in) wide. Asymmetrical at the base, they are oblique in shape. The leaves are same shade of glossy to dark green above and below the leaf. The leaf stems are four sided or squarish with a flanged edge in cross section.
Flowering occurs from September to March. The inflorescence
s are simple on the stem, and situated at the leaf axil, and consist of 2 to 15 white flowers. Peduncle
s flattened 1 to 1.7 cm long. Pedicel
s angular 0.3 to 0.6 cm long. The club- or spindle shaped flower buds are 0.8 to 1.1 cm long and 0.4 to 0.5 cm wide. The cap of the flower bud is cone shaped or beaked. The gumnuts are hemispherical or truncate globular in shape, 1.1 cm (0.4 in) by 1.1 cm (0.4 in) in size. Gumnuts similar to the related stringybark
group, however with longer stems. There are four valves inside the gumnut. The disc is either flat, ascending or descending. Regeneration from seed is easily accomplished.
) or Sydney blue gum (E. saligna
), but can be distinguished by the strong V-shape of the branch forks, which are preferred resting places for koalas.
on the far south coast of New South Wales up to south eastern Queensland
. The latitudinal range is 37.5 to 25.5 degrees south of the equator. Usually seen at low to mid altitudes, though growing at 800 metres (2500 ft) above sea level near Wauchope
, where it is a dominant species. Usually seen on coastal sandy loams, but also grows well on clays and volcanic soils. Reaches large size on drier slopes near rainforest. The rainfall range is between 900 mm and 2000 mm per year. The climate for much of the distribution range is warm and humid. The mean minimum of the coldest month is around 5 to 10 degrees C, and 24 to 32 degrees C for the hottest month mean temperature. Frosts may occur in some sites away from the coast and at higher altitude.
, Tallowwood, White Mahogany
, Grey Ironbark
, Red Mahogany
, Coast Grey Box
, Brush Box and Turpentine
. In drier areas it grows with trees such as Spotted Gum
, Angophora
, Sydney Peppermint
and Scribbly Gum
.
, flooring
, building framework, cladding, joinery
, lining boards, furniture
, woodchipping
and decking. Wood density is about 900 kg per cubic metre. The sapwood is resistant to attack by lyctus
borers, the heartwood is yellowish brown to light brown. Coarse textured, fairly straight grained, common small gum veins. Hard, strong, tough but not particularly difficult to work. Slow drying of mid to good levels of durability. Blackbutt timber is used in the flooring of Parliament House, Canberra
.
, there are two senescent individuals. Benaroon is 64 metres tall and 4.1 metres diameter at breast height. Bird Tree, nearby is 69 metres tall 3.59 metres diameter at breast height. An 85 metre tall Blackbutt was felled near Bulli. Trees over 60 metres tall are not rare in northern New South Wales
.
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
family native to southeastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. A large tree, it is identified by the stocking of rough bark, to about half way up the trunk, above this is white smooth bark. The leaves are a uniform glossy to dark green and the white flowers occur from September to March. Blackbutt is the predominant tree species seen on the drive on the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
between Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
and Coffs Harbour. Blackbutt is a koala food tree. Economically, it is one of Australia's most important hardwoods.
Taxonomy
First described by James Edward SmithJames Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
, the species name of pilularis refers to the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
pilula, (small pill or rounded knob), referring to the shape of the gumnuts.
The common name blackbutt refers to the black base of the tree after fires. The type specimen was collected from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in the year 1794. First published in 1797 in Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
(3, 284) by James Edward Smith
James Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
.
Within the genus Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, it lies in the subgenus Eucalyptus and the section Pseudophloius, a group united by rough but not stringy bark, large opposite juvenile and glossy green adult leaves. Their leaves have adensely reticulated pattern, and the seed is red-brown, and smooth and pyramidal in shape.
A taxon once described as E. pilularis var. pyriformis has been reclassified as the species E. pyrocarpa.
Description
Blackbutt can grow to 70 metres in height, and a trunk diameter of 4.1 metres. Though is mostly seen between 20 and 45 metres tall. Like many large eucalyptus species, the maximum height in the past is difficult to determine. Maximum heights of the Blackbutt may have reached greater sizes than the largest trees still standing today. Blackbutt is a potential giant, of immense size.Blackbutt has dark fibrous grey-brown spongy bark covering the lower part of the trunk, which comes away in strips. The bark higher up and on the branches is a glossy cream, occasionally with scribbles from insect larvae. The branchlets are square in cross section. Juvenile specimens are conspicuous, with pairs of opposite, broad-lanceolate leaves, much paler below the leaf than above which may reach 17 cm (6.8 in) long by 4 cm (1.6 in) wide. Blackbutt is a eucalyptus species without a lignotuber
Lignotuber
A lignotuber is a starchy swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem by fire. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, and a sufficient store of nutrients to support a period of growth in the absence of...
. The adult leaves are arranged alternately on the stem, lanceolate to slightly sickle shaped, 9 to 16 cm (3.6-6.4 in) long, and 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6-1.2 in) wide. Asymmetrical at the base, they are oblique in shape. The leaves are same shade of glossy to dark green above and below the leaf. The leaf stems are four sided or squarish with a flanged edge in cross section.
Flowering occurs from September to March. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are simple on the stem, and situated at the leaf axil, and consist of 2 to 15 white flowers. Peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
s flattened 1 to 1.7 cm long. Pedicel
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
s angular 0.3 to 0.6 cm long. The club- or spindle shaped flower buds are 0.8 to 1.1 cm long and 0.4 to 0.5 cm wide. The cap of the flower bud is cone shaped or beaked. The gumnuts are hemispherical or truncate globular in shape, 1.1 cm (0.4 in) by 1.1 cm (0.4 in) in size. Gumnuts similar to the related stringybark
Stringybark
A stringybark can be any of the many Eucalyptus species which have thick, fibrous bark. Like all eucalypts, stringybarks belong to the Myrtaceae family. In exceptionally fertile locations some stringybark species A stringybark can be any of the many Eucalyptus species which have thick, fibrous...
group, however with longer stems. There are four valves inside the gumnut. The disc is either flat, ascending or descending. Regeneration from seed is easily accomplished.
Similar species
Blackbutt can be confused with Sydney Peppermint (Eucalyptus piperitaEucalyptus piperita
Eucalyptus piperita, commonly known as Sydney Peppermint and Urn-fruited Peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
) or Sydney blue gum (E. saligna
Eucalyptus saligna
Eucalyptus saligna, known as the Sydney Blue Gum, is a large Australian hardwood tree common along the New South Wales seaboard and into Queensland, reaching about 65 metres in height...
), but can be distinguished by the strong V-shape of the branch forks, which are preferred resting places for koalas.
Distribution and habitat
Found in wet sclerophyll or grassy coastal forests. North from EdenEden, New South Wales
Eden is a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town, south of the state capital Sydney near the border with Victoria, is located between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of Twofold Bay, and built on undulating land adjacent to a...
on the far south coast of New South Wales up to south eastern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The latitudinal range is 37.5 to 25.5 degrees south of the equator. Usually seen at low to mid altitudes, though growing at 800 metres (2500 ft) above sea level near Wauchope
Wauchope, New South Wales
-People from Wauchope:* Iva Davies - Musician, Icehouse* Alison Langdon - Channel Nine News Reader - Today Show* Phil Jamieson - Musician, Grinspoon* Andrew Stoner - NSW National Party of Australia leader, Member for Oxley...
, where it is a dominant species. Usually seen on coastal sandy loams, but also grows well on clays and volcanic soils. Reaches large size on drier slopes near rainforest. The rainfall range is between 900 mm and 2000 mm per year. The climate for much of the distribution range is warm and humid. The mean minimum of the coldest month is around 5 to 10 degrees C, and 24 to 32 degrees C for the hottest month mean temperature. Frosts may occur in some sites away from the coast and at higher altitude.
Associate Species
Blackbutt grows with a large number of other tree types. In the higher quality forests, associate species include Sydney Blue GumEucalyptus saligna
Eucalyptus saligna, known as the Sydney Blue Gum, is a large Australian hardwood tree common along the New South Wales seaboard and into Queensland, reaching about 65 metres in height...
, Tallowwood, White Mahogany
Eucalyptus acmenoides
Eucalyptus acmenoides, the White Mahogany is a common eucalyptus tree of eastern Australia. In the northern part of Sydney, where this tree grows on clay soils, the indigenous name is Barayly....
, Grey Ironbark
Eucalyptus paniculata
Eucalyptus paniculata is a common eucalyptus tree of eastern New South Wales, Australia. A dark trunked forest tree with grey furrowed bark. When in flower, the nectar is attractive to birds and insects, and is used in honey production.- Habitat :The natural range of distribution is high rainfall...
, Red Mahogany
Eucalyptus resinifera
Eucalyptus resinifera , known as the Red Mahogany, is a common eucalyptus tree of eastern Australia. Its range of distribution is from Jervis Bay north to about Gladstone, Queensland in dry sclerophyll or wet sclerophyll forest habitats, preferring soils of a medium to high fertility.- Description :E...
, Coast Grey Box
Eucalyptus bosistoana
Eucalyptus bosistoana, the Coast Grey Box is a eucalyptus of south eastern Australia. It is the largest of the box group of eucalyptus trees, growing up to 60 metres tall, and a stem diameter of at least 1.5 metres. Though it is mostly seen from 25 to 40 metres tall...
, Brush Box and Turpentine
Syncarpia glomulifera
Syncarpia glomulifera is a tree native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, which can grow to more than 30 metres in height...
. In drier areas it grows with trees such as Spotted Gum
Corymbia maculata
Corymbia maculata , commonly known as Spotted Gum, is an endemic Australian tree.-Description:Spotted Gum is a medium to tall tree with a straight trunk, growing up to 70 metres in height. However, there is an old reference to a 91 metre tall tree...
, Angophora
Angophora costata
Angophora costata is a common woodland and forest tree of Eastern Australia and is known by a variety of names including smooth-barked apple, rose gum, rose apple or Sydney red gum. It grows primarily on sandstone soils, usually on headlands, plateaus or other elevated areas. A...
, Sydney Peppermint
Eucalyptus piperita
Eucalyptus piperita, commonly known as Sydney Peppermint and Urn-fruited Peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
and Scribbly Gum
Eucalyptus racemosa
Eucalyptus racemosa, known as the Scribbly Gum, or Snappy Gum is a tree native to eastern Australia. An alternative name is Narrow Leaved Scribbly Gum, as the leaves are different to the related Eucalyptus haemastoma, a similar and better known tree. Occurring on the poor sandstone soils in mid to...
.
Ecology
Blackbutt forms an important element of the canopy of several endangered communities, including blue gum high forest, Illawarra lowlands, bangalay sand forest, and grassy woodland.Cultivation
On a small scale, Blackbutt can be regenerated from seed by the following method: When the valves of the gumnut open, shake and tap the gumnuts until enough of the tiny seeds fall into a container. Place the seeds in a pot of sand (or other substrate). Lightly cover the seeds with sand or other potting mixture. Place the pot in a larger water filled container, such as an ice-cream container. The water will fill the inner pot with the Blackbutt seeds. The seeds will then be temporarily saturated. Place the larger container with the pot of seeds into the sun (or bright light). Blackbutt seedlings should appear within a week. As sand is infertile, extra fertilizer should be added after germination.Timber & Forestry
A significant commercial species. Blackbutt is well regarded by foresters for the high quality of timber, easy regeneration and quick growth. Uses include making poles, railway sleepersRailroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
, flooring
Flooring
Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface...
, building framework, cladding, joinery
Woodworking joints
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. Some wood joints employ fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, while others use only wood elements. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility,...
, lining boards, furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, woodchipping
Woodchipping in Australia
Woodchipping is the act and industry of chipping wood for pulp. Timber is converted to woodchips and sold, primarily, for paper manufacture. In Australia, woodchips are produced by clearcutting or thinning of native forests or plantations...
and decking. Wood density is about 900 kg per cubic metre. The sapwood is resistant to attack by lyctus
Lyctus brunneus
Lyctus brunneus is a species of beetle in the family Bostrichidae , with a worldwide distribution, being present in tropical Africa, Oceania, the Palearctic , the Nearctic, the Neotropics, North Africa and East Asia. It is absent from the Near East...
borers, the heartwood is yellowish brown to light brown. Coarse textured, fairly straight grained, common small gum veins. Hard, strong, tough but not particularly difficult to work. Slow drying of mid to good levels of durability. Blackbutt timber is used in the flooring of Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
.
Significant Individuals
At Middle Brother National ParkMiddle Brother National Park
Middle Brother National Park is a protected area of 1830 hectares, situated in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales. The nearest large town is Laurieton. The high rainfall and volcanic soils produce outstanding eucalyptus forest and rainforest. Large Flooded Gum and Blackbutt grow in...
, there are two senescent individuals. Benaroon is 64 metres tall and 4.1 metres diameter at breast height. Bird Tree, nearby is 69 metres tall 3.59 metres diameter at breast height. An 85 metre tall Blackbutt was felled near Bulli. Trees over 60 metres tall are not rare in northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.