Myrtaceae
Lophostemon confertus (Brush box) - A large tree reaching 25m in height with rough
brown bark on the lower trunk, and smooth pinkish-brown bark on upper trunk and
branches. It has broad glossy green leaves crowded together in whorls of 3-5 at the
ends of twigs. Flowers are white, star-shaped, about 4cm in diameter and occur in
clusters of 3-7. Fruits are woody, bell-shaped capsules about 10-15mm in diameter,
containing a number of small brown seeds. Preferring moist soils it is commonly found
in wet sclerophyll forests or rainforest along the coast of eastern Australia.
Melaleuca quinquenervia (Broad-leaved paperbark) - A medium sized tree with
layered ‘paperbark’, can reach up to 25m in height but is more commonly found up to
15m. Leaves are flat and leathery, about 70mm x 20mm with 5 distinctive longitudinal
veins. Flowers appear as short bottlebrush spikes, creamy white in colour and 50mm
long. The seeds are enclosed in woody capsules arranged cylindrically around the
stems. Found along coastal streams and swamps throughout eastern Australia.
Leptospermum petersonii (Lemon-scented teatree) - A shrub or small tree that
typically grows to a height of 5m with a similar width. It has thin, brown, fibrous or flaky
bark on the stems, and smooth branchlets that have a flange under the leaf bases. The
leaves are elliptical to lance-shaped, between 20-40mm long, 2-5mm wide and are
often strongly-scented. The flowers are white, about 10-15mm in diameter and usually
arranged singly on short side shoots. The fruits are small, woody capsules about 6mm
in diameter and contain a number of small brown seeds. Most commonly found in
sclerophyll forest or rainforest from south-east Queensland into northern New South
Wales, it prefers well-drained soils.
Proteaceae
Banksia integrifolia (Coastal banksia) - A highly variable species it is most often
encountered as a medium-sized tree up to 25m tall, but can be found much larger or
much smaller. It features a single trunk which is often twisted and gnarled, and covered
in rough grey bark. The leaves are dark green with a white underside, and occur in
whorls of 3 to 5. Flowers occur as a cylindrical-shaped flower spike, made of up several
hundred flowers densely packed in a spiral around a woody axis, usually pale yellow to
yellow in colour. Woody cones embedded with many small follicles are revealed after
flowering, with each follicle containing 1 or sometimes 2 small black seeds separated by
a thin wooden layer. Found along the entire eastern coast of Australia in a broad range
of habitats, from coastal dunes to mountains. It typically occurs on poor quality sandy
soils.
Grevillea robusta (Silky oak) - G.robusta is known to greatly vary in size and can be
found anywhere between 5-40m tall, it has a single main trunk with dark grey, furrowed
bark. Its leaves are fern-like, 10-34cm long, 9-15cm wide and divided with between 11
and 31 main lobes. The flowers are mostly yellowish orange in colour and are arranged
in one-sided, toothbrush-like groups, 12-15cm long. Fruits are woody follicles, ellipsoid
in shape with a small stalk attaching them to a stem. Found primarily in riverine
rainforests and riverine sclerophyll communities throughout eastern Australia.
Macadamia integrifolia (Macadamia tree) - A medium-sized tree reaching 15m in
height with brown, smooth bark. Its glossy green leaves are oblong in shape, around
200mm long by 100mm wide, and often have wavy or serrated margins. The leaves are
arranged in whorls of 3 at each node along the stem. Flowers are white and occur in
pendulous racemes up to 300mm long, usually in winter and spring. The fruits are
globular and about 25-35mm in diameter. They have a hard, greenish outer later and an
extremely hard, brown inner shell which protects the fruit. Naturally found in drier types
of subtropical rainforest north from Currumbin in Queensland.
Eucalypts
Eucalyptus tereticornis (Forest red gum) - A large tree native to eastern Australia
that typically grows to a height of 20-50m. The bark is shed in irregular sheets, resulting
in a smooth trunk surface coloured in patches of white, grey and blue. Adult leaves are
the same shade of green on both sides, lanceolate shaped, 80-220mm long and
10-35mm wide, tapering at the base to a petiole 13-30mm long. The flower buds are
arranged in leaf axils in groups of 7, 9 or 11 on an unbranched peduncle 7-25mm long.
Mature buds are an elongated oval shape, 9-16mm long and 3-6mm wide with a conical
operculum that is much longer than the floral cup. Flowers are white and occur in most
months of the year. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical capsule 2-6mm long and 4-8mm
wide with the valves prominently protruding. A very adaptable species it is found in
eucalypt woodlands throughout eastern Australia preferring alluvial or sandy soils.
Eucalyptus microcorys (Tallowwood) - A large tree with brown fibrous or stringy bark
that can reach up to 60m tall. Adult leaves are glossy green, lanceolate to ovate in
shape and arranged alternately along the stem. The flower buds are usually arranged at
the end of branchlets, on a branched peduncle in groups of seven or nine. Mature buds
are club-shaped, presenting white to lemon-yellow flowers. Fruit is a woody conical
capsule 5-9mm long and 5-6mm wide with the valves near rim level. Found in wet and
dry sclerophyll forests throughout coastal Queensland and New South Wales.
Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River red gum) - A native tree with smooth, white or
cream-coloured bark that typically grows to a height of 20m, but can be found up to 45m
tall. Adult leaves are lanceolate-shaped, dull green or greyish green in colour on both
sides, 50-300mm long and 7-32mm wide on a petiole 8-33mm long. Flower buds are
arranged in groups of 7, 9 or sometimes 11. Mature buds are oval with white flowers
occurring in summer. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical capsule 2-5mm long and
4-10mm wide on a pedicel 3-12mm long with the valves raised above the rim. Found
along riverbanks and floodplains throughout inland Australia their roots can help reduce
bank erosion while providing habitat for native fauna.
Acacia
Acacia leicalyx (Early-flowering black wattle) - A small tree reaching 6-8m in height
with dark furrowed bark. It has sickle-shaped phyllodes featuring prominent veins which
are 7-12cm long, 12-25mm wide and arranged alternately along the branches. Its
flowers are 3-7cm long, cylindrical-shaped spikes, pale yellow to yellow in colour and
appear from June to October. Seed pods are narrow, 7-15cm long, and contain a single
row of dehiscent seeds. A common species in eucalypt woodlands throughout
Queensland and northern New South Wales, it prefers well-drained stony or gravelly
soils.
Acacia dealbata (Silver wattle) - A bushy shrub or spreading tree that typically grows
to a height of 30m, it has smooth grey or brown bark which becomes corrugated with
age. The leaves are bipinnate, on a petiole up to 15mm long, with 6 to 30 pairs of
pinnae, each with 10 to 68 pairs of narrowly oblong pinnules. Leaves are bluish grey or
silvery in colour. Flowers are bright yellow in colour and occur in axillary panicles
attached to 2-6mm long peduncles. Seed pods are straight or slightly curved, 2-11cm
long, 6-14mm wide, and are often constricted between some or all of the seeds. Often
found growing in dry sclerophyll forests or woodlands throughout south eastern
Australia, on a variety of substrates.
Acacia fimbriata (Brisbane wattle) - A shrub or small tree growing to a height of 6-8m,
with dark brown bark which becomes fissured with age. It features angled or flattened
branchlets and linear phyllodes that are 2 to 5cm in length, 2 to 7mm wide and can be
arranged alternately or clustered. The phyllodes are typically light green in colour and
elliptic or lanceolate in shape. Flowering between July and November it produces
inflorescences in groups of 8 to 25 located in axillary racemes. The spherical flower
heads have a diameter of 3 to 5mm and contain 10 to 20 bright yellow flowers. The
papery seed pods are flat and straight to slightly curved with a length of 3 to 9.5cm and
a width of 5 to 8.5mm. It is often found in coastal areas of eastern Australia as a part of
Eucalyptus woodland communities, preferring rocky and sandy soils.