''Endiandra sieberi'', known as the corkwood 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 ...
.
Habitat
A common tree on lowland and some mountain rainforests. Very common on sand in
littoral
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
rainforests. The corky bark assists in protection from fire. It grows from
Kioloa
Kioloa is a small hamlet located on the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast of New South Wales, Australia and is within the City of Shoalhaven local government area. It is pronounced by locals as 'Ky-ola'. At the , Kioloa had a population ...
(35° S) near
Batemans Bay
Batemans Bay is a town on the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Batemans Bay is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council. The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets the ...
in southern
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
to the islands of
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...
(27° S), in south eastern
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. Common names include
corkwood, hard corkwood, corkwood laurel and pink corkwood.
Description
''Endiandra sieberi'' is a medium-sized tree to 30 metres tall and 90 cm in trunk diameter.
Bark, trunk and leaves
The bark is a fawnish grey, relatively soft and corky. Large trees sometimes shortly flanged but not buttressed at the base. The trunk is straight and cylindrical.
Leaves are alternate, simple and entire. 5 to 8 cm long, drawn out to a blunt point. Mid-green on the leaf top, but paler green beneath. Leaf stalks 5 to 10 mm.
Midrib raised slightly on the upper surface but flattened beneath. Net veins clearly seen as in
Cryptocarya microneura. Mid rib colour is creamy yellow.
Flowers, fruit and germination
Flowers appear from June to October, being cream or yellow in
panicle
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 panicle are of ...
s.
The fruit is an egg shaped
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'') ...
. Black and shiny, 2 to 3.5 cm long. The single seed is ovate and pointed 25 to 30 mm long. Fruit eaten by rainforest birds including the
white-headed pigeon
The white-headed pigeon (''Columba leucomela'') is a pigeon native to the east coast of Australia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The pigeon family is a group of stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a worldwide distribut ...
and
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 ...
. Fruit ripe from March to October.
Like most Australian
laurel
Laurel may refer to:
Plants
* Lauraceae, the laurel family
* Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel
People
* Laurel (given name), people with the given name
* Laurel (surname), people with the surname
* Laurel (mus ...
fruit, 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 to assist seed
germination
Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fer ...
. Roots and shoots usually appear within three to twelve months, with a germination rate of around 20 percent.
Timber and uses
Timber is light coloured, hard and close grained. In colonial times, the bark proved an unsuccessful cork substitute, compared with cork from the
cork oak
''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the cores ...
.
Gallery
Image:Endiandra sieberi Wyrabbalong National Park1.JPG, Corkwood growing at Wyrrabalong National Park
The Wyrrabalong National Park is a coastal national park that is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park consists of two sections; the northern section consists of approximately and covers a s ...
, 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 ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Wyrabbalong National Park2.JPG, Corkwood growing at Wyrrabalong National Park
The Wyrrabalong National Park is a coastal national park that is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park consists of two sections; the northern section consists of approximately and covers a s ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Wyrabbalong National Park3.jpg, new red Corkwood leaves growing at Wyrrabalong National Park
The Wyrrabalong National Park is a coastal national park that is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park consists of two sections; the northern section consists of approximately and covers a s ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Wyrabbalong National Park5.JPG, Corkwood seedling & fruit at Wyrrabalong National Park
The Wyrrabalong National Park is a coastal national park that is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park consists of two sections; the northern section consists of approximately and covers a s ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Wyrabbalong National Park6.jpg, fallen Corkwood fruit on sand, Wyrrabalong National Park
The Wyrrabalong National Park is a coastal national park that is located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park consists of two sections; the northern section consists of approximately and covers a s ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Chatswood.jpg, Corkwood bark, growing at Chatswood West
Chatswood West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood West is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local gover ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Hacking River 1.JPG, 30 metre tall Corkwood 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 ...
, 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 ...
Image:Endiandra sieberi Hacking River 2.JPG, 30 metre tall Corkwood 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 ...
, 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 ...
References
* Floyd, A.G., ''Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia'', Inkata Press 1989,
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5376116
Trees of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Laurales of Australia
sieberi