''Backhousia sciadophora'' is a common

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Dungog Dungog is a country town on the Williams River in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire local government area and at the 2016 census it had a po ...

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Kilcoy Kilcoy is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kilcoy had a population of 1,898 people. Geography The township is on the D'Aguilar Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane, ...

in south east

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 Shatterwood, Ironwood, Boomerang Tree and Curracabark. The habitat of Shatterwood is drier forms of

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 ...

in gorges and steep slopes, usually not on volcanic soils.

Description

Shatterwood is a small to medium size tree, occasionally reaching 30 metres in height and 80 cm in trunk diameter. The tree's crown appears dark and attractive. The trunk of Backhousia sciadophora is cylindrical, and often flanged or buttressed at the base. Shatterwood is so named because of the brittle nature of the timber. The bark is grey or fawn, rough with short fibres, finely vertically fissured, shedding in narrow scales. The bark structure appears to consist of numerous paper like layers.

Leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are opposite, simple, entire, broadly ovate or elliptical, 5 to 10 cm long. Round or drawn into a blunt point, or sometimes notched. Oil dots small and numerous. Leaf stalks very short. Leaf venation includes a looping intermarginal vein, well removed from the leaf's edge. A second intermarginal leaf vein is present, closer to the leaf edge. The midrib vein is sunken on the lower surface, but slightly raised above. Flowers are white, small and numerous. Flowering period from June to July. The fruit matures from May to August, being a brown capsule, bell shaped, 5 mm in diameter including the five persistent calyx lobes, 2 mm long. Seeds five to eight in each fruit, oval, 1 mm long, golden brown in colour.

References

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(other publication details, included in citation)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4839674 sciadophora Myrtales of Australia Trees of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Dungog Shire Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller