''Cryptocarya glaucescens'', commonly known as jackwood, 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 of the
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 ...
family 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 ...
.
Taxonomy
''Cryptocarya glaucescens'' was one of the many species first described by Scottish botanist
Robert Brown in his 1810 work ''
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae
''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as ''Prodromus Flora Novae ...
''. Common names include jackwood, native laurel, brown beech, brown laurel, bolly laurel and silver sycamore.
Description
''Cryptocarya glaucescens'' is a medium-sized tree to 35 metres tall and 90 cm in trunk diameter.
Bark, trunk and leaves
The bark is dark brown or reddish brown and often scaly. Surface not smooth with many irregularities. Bark can contain circular depressions, colloquially known as "bollies", which are also seen in the related laurel, ''
Litsea reticulata
''Litsea reticulata'' is a common Australian tree, growing from near Milton, New South Wales to the Bunya Mountains, Queensland. Common names include bollygum, bolly wood and brown beech. The habitat of the bollygum is rainforest of most types, ...
''. The trunk may or may not be cylindrical, and the base is usually buttressed in large trees.
Leaves are alternate and elliptical, 6 to 13 cm long. Upper surface green, underside a
glaucous
''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), g ...
bluish grey. Hence the species name of ''Cryptocarya glaucescens''. Midrib and lateral nerves and net veins are visible on both sides of the leaf, but more obvious beneath.
Flowers, fruit and germination
Flowers appear from October to December, being cream or pale green. Flowers are small and numerous 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. These panicles may be shorter or longer than the leaves.
The fruit is a
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, of an appealing oblong or spherical shape. With vertical lines and wrinkles. 18 mm long and 15 mm deep. The
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 ...
has a unique, tangy and pleasant scent. Fruit eaten by rainforest birds including the
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 June.
Unlike most Australian ''
Cryptocarya
''Cryptocarya'' is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes more than 350 species, distributed through the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms.
Overview
The genus inc ...
'' 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 not particularly advised to assist seed germination, as the
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 so thin. Roots and shoots usually appear within three to six months.
Distribution and habitat
Very common in warm temperate rainforest areas, but often seen in the other rainforest types. It grows from
Mount Dromedary
Gulaga, dual-named as Mount Dromedary and also referred to as Mount Gulaga, is mountain located in the south coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It rises above the village of Central Tilba and is within the Gulaga National Park. At its ...
(36° S) 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
Eungella National Park
Eungella National Park ( ; meaning "Land of the clouds") is a protected area in Queensland, Australia. It is on the Clarke Range at the end of the Pioneer Valley 80 km west of Mackay, and 858 km northwest of Brisbane. Eungel ...
(20° S), in tropical
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_ ...
.
Uses
Timber is pale brown. Sapwood not attacked by
powder post borer.
Gallery
Image:Cryptocarya glaucescens-bark1.JPG, Jackwood 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:Cryptocarya glaucescens-bark2.JPG, Jackwood 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:Cryptocarya glaucescens-bark3.JPG, Jackwood bark, 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:Cryptocarya glaucescens-fruit.jpg, Jackwood fruit
Image:Cryptocarya glaucescens-seedlings1.jpg, Jackwood seedlings
Image:Cryptocarya glaucescens-seedlings2.JPG, Jackwood seedlings
Image:Cryptocarya glaucescens-juvenile1.jpg, Juvenile jackwood 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:Cryptocarya glaucescens-juvenile2.jpg, Juvenile jackwood 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:Cryptocarya_glaucescens_-_Walkers_Garden.JPG, Large jackwood 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
*
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5190847
Trees of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Laurales of Australia
glaucescens
Plants described in 1810
Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)