''Citronella moorei'' is a

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

tree growing in eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Common names for this species include churnwood, citronella, soapy box, silky beech, and corduroy.

Description

''Citronella moorei'' is a large tree attaining a height of 50 metres and a diameter of 2 metres. The crown is dark green and dense. Easily identified in the rainforest by the extraordinary twisting and crooked trunk.

Bark, trunk and leaves

The bark is fawn or greyish, fissured and corky. The trunk is prominently and irregularly channelled, twisting or fluted. The trunk is rarely round except in very young trees. Often the trunk is leaning and crooked. Branchlets moderately slender, green and smooth. Young shoots finely downy. Leaves are alternate and simple. 5 to 10 cm long, 4 to 6 cm broad. Leaves are not wavy edged, and drawn out to a blunt point. Old leaves turn black on the forest floor. Venation is prominent on both surfaces. Midrib and four to six lateral veins raised, conspicuous and paler beneath.

Flowers, fruit and germination

''Citronella moorei'' is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, with male and female flowers on separate plants.Barlow, B.A. (1984) in George, A.S. (ed
Flora of Australia. Volume 22. Rhizophorales to Celastrales
Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra. Flowering period May to September. Creamy green flowers in narrow panicles. The fruit is a black

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

, about 2 cm long. The outer part moist and fleshy, the inner part hard. Fruit ripe December to June. Eaten by

green catbird The green catbird (''Ailuroedus crassirostris'') is a species of bowerbird found in subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It is named after its distinctive call which soun ...

topknot pigeon The topknot pigeon (''Lopholaimus antarcticus'') is a pigeon native to eastern Australia. Taxonomy English naturalist George Shaw described the topknot pigeon as ''Columba antarctica'' in 1793. The topknot pigeon is sister taxon to a lineage th ...

and

wompoo fruit dove The wompoo fruit dove (''Ptilinopus magnificus''), also known as wompoo pigeon, is one of the larger fruit doves native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics Subspecies There are generally 7-8 recognised subspecies, ...

. Removal of the fleshy

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

is advised. Germination of sown fresh seed is slow, beginning after about six months and being complete after 8 to 14 months yielding a 100% success rate.

Distribution and habitat

Growing on volcanic soils or rich alluvial soils in tropical, sub tropical and warm temperate rainforests. Common in sheltered valleys and slopes. It is found from the

Clyde River, New South Wales The Clyde River ( Dhurga: ''Bhundoo'') is an open intermediate tide dominated drowned valley estuary, or perennial river that flows into the Tasman Sea at Batemans Bay, located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Course a ...

(35° S) to

Mossman, Queensland Mossman is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre for the Douglas Shire Council In the , the locality of Mossman had a population of 1,937 people. Geography Mossman in Far N ...

(16° S) in the tropics.

Timber and uses

Pale grey timber, close grained with conspicuous rays. Sapwood is susceptible to borers.

Gallery

Image:Citronella moorei Hacking River1.JPG, ''Citronella moorei'' growing by the

Hacking River The Hacking River is a perennial stream, watercourse that is located in the Southern Sydney region of New South Wales in Australia. For thousands of years traditional owners called the river Deeban, however the colonial settlers renamed the ri ...

Image:Citronella moorei Budderoo.JPG, ''Citronella moorei'' growing by the

Minnamurra River The Minnamurra River, an open mature wave dominated barrier estuary, is located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Location and features Minnamurra River rises within the Budderoo National Park on the eastern slopes of th ...

Image:Citronella moorei Budderoo2.JPG, ''Citronella moorei'' growing by the

Image:Citronella moorei Hacking River2.JPG, ''Citronella moorei'' growing by the

Image:Citronella moorei juvenile1.JPG, ''Citronella moorei'' juvenile Image:Citronella moorei juvenile2.JPG, ''Citronella moorei'' juvenile

References

* Floyd, A.G., ''Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia'', Inkata Press 1989, {{Taxonbar, from=Q5122848 Cardiopteridaceae Asterids of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Dioecious plants