Owenia cepiodora
Encyclopedia
Owenia cepiodora is a medium to large Australian tree in the mahogany
family. It occurs in the rainforest
s of north eastern New South Wales
and adjacent areas in Queensland
. The habitat is mostly the drier Hoop Pine rainforests along the state border. Only small regrowth trees remain, as it was heavily logged in earlier times. Its status is now considered vulnerable with a ROTAP
rating of 2VCi.
Common names include Onion Cedar, Onionwood and Bog Onion. The timber resembles the valuable Australian Red Cedar. Logs were soaked to remove the characteristic onion scent and sold as Red Cedar. The species name refers to the onion scent. It is found as far south as the Richmond River and as far north as Canungra, in the Gold Coast
hinterland.
tree. A cylindrical trunk with brown bark with vertical cracks and lines. Small branches are marked with leaf scars; thick smooth and pale brown.
Compound leaves are between 30 and 60 cm long with 17 to 25 leaflets, sub opposite on the main leaf stem. Notably, there is no terminal leaflet. Leaflets 7 to 14 cm long, and 1.5 to 3.5 cm wide, broad lanceolate in shape. Glossy green above, paler and more dull beneath. The midrib is raised above and below on the leaflet. Older foliage without a distinct odour, however, new leaves have a garlic
scent. The main leaf stalk is 20 to 30 cm long, and the leaflet stalks are 2 to 5 mm long.
, with white pulp. 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter with two, three or four cells, each with usually two seeds. Fruit matures from January to March. Regeneration is unreliable, however it occurs around November to January.
Meliaceae
The Meliaceae, or the Mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs in the order Sapindales....
family. It occurs in the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s of north eastern 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...
and adjacent areas in 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 habitat is mostly the drier Hoop Pine rainforests along the state border. Only small regrowth trees remain, as it was heavily logged in earlier times. Its status is now considered vulnerable with a ROTAP
ROTAP
Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, usually abbreviated to ROTAP, is a list of rare or threatened Australian plant taxa. Developed and maintained by the CSIRO, the most recent edition lists 5031 taxa. The list uses a binary coding system based on the IUCN Red List categories for "Presumed...
rating of 2VCi.
Common names include Onion Cedar, Onionwood and Bog Onion. The timber resembles the valuable Australian Red Cedar. Logs were soaked to remove the characteristic onion scent and sold as Red Cedar. The species name refers to the onion scent. It is found as far south as the Richmond River and as far north as Canungra, in the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
hinterland.
Description
A tree up to 30 metres tall with a stem diameter of 75 cm. The crown of the tree resembles the dark glossy green Black BeanCastanospermum
Castanospermum australe , the only species in the genus Castanospermum, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.-Growth:It is a large evergreen tree growing to ...
tree. A cylindrical trunk with brown bark with vertical cracks and lines. Small branches are marked with leaf scars; thick smooth and pale brown.
Compound leaves are between 30 and 60 cm long with 17 to 25 leaflets, sub opposite on the main leaf stem. Notably, there is no terminal leaflet. Leaflets 7 to 14 cm long, and 1.5 to 3.5 cm wide, broad lanceolate in shape. Glossy green above, paler and more dull beneath. The midrib is raised above and below on the leaflet. Older foliage without a distinct odour, however, new leaves have a garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
scent. The main leaf stalk is 20 to 30 cm long, and the leaflet stalks are 2 to 5 mm long.
Flowers, fruit & regeneration
White flowers form on panicles in the months of November to December. Petals five in number per flower, around 4 mm long. The fruit is round red drupeDrupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
, with white pulp. 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter with two, three or four cells, each with usually two seeds. Fruit matures from January to March. Regeneration is unreliable, however it occurs around November to January.