Geissois benthamiana is a rainforest tree in central eastern Australia. The common names include Red Carabeen, Leather Jacket, Brush Mahogany, Red Bean, Pink Marara and Brush Mararie.

Habitat

Common in warm temperate and sub tropical rainforest areas, often seen in mountain gullies. It grows from near the Manning River

Manning River

The Manning River is a river in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia that flows through the Manning Valley. It is one of Australia's few large river systems not to be dammed for water supply purposes anywhere along its catchment...

 area in 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...

 to near Tambourine Mountain

Tambourine Mountain

Tamborine Mountain is a plateau in the Scenic Rim, Gold Coast Hinterland, south-east Queensland, Australia. The name is of Aboriginal origin and has nothing to do with the musical instrument.-History:...

, 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...

.

Description

The Red Carabeen is a large tree to around 35 metres tall, and 140 cm in diameter. The trunk is round in cross section and often buttressed at the base. Bark is a wrinkly brown.

Leaves are pinnate and opposite with three leaflets. Leaflets significantly toothed. 5 to 15 cm long, smooth and green on both surfaces, darker above. New growth is bright red.

The midrib and lateral leaf veins are evident on both surfaces, conspicuously raised beneath. Twelve to sixteen net veins ending in a leaf tooth.

Flowers appear from October to January being yellow, in a slender raceme

Raceme

A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...

. The fruit is a downy capsule; almost cylindrical. Several flat seeds in each cell of the two cells in the capsule. Ripe from May to August, or irregular. Unlike many Australian rainforest trees, seed germination occurs rapidly.