214 I'ROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND, 



CIIARACTERLSTICS OF SOME RAIX-FOREST 

 TREES. 



Trees with Chaiuuled or Fluted Barrel!. — Some species 

 are charafterised by chaiineletl or tinted barrels wliicli are 

 angular or sub-angular in cross-section. Unlike the but- 

 tressed trees, the channeled or fluted character is not always 

 confined to the basal portion of the barrel, but often extends 

 upwards towards the lowermost limbs. Examples are the 

 churnwood or soap box {ViUaresia Moorci), lignum-vit£e 

 {Vitex lignum-vitce), black apple or black plum {Sideroxy- 

 lon ausiraJe), koda (EJirrfia acuminata), she pine or brown 

 pine {Podocarpus eJata), giant stinging tree {Laportea 

 yigas), scrub turpentine {Rhodarnuia trinervia), and white 

 myrtle (EJiodanniia argcntea). Occasionally the churn- 

 uood, lignum-vitcV, and koda resemble each other in general 

 appearance. The churnwood is one of the largest trees of 

 the rain forests, and attains a barrel diameter of nearly 

 5 feet. It has a pale or whitish cork-like fisf^ured bark. Its 

 timber is pale cr nearly white, and is remarkable for its 

 broad medullary rays, which in tangential section measure 

 2-4 nnn. or more in height. The lignum-vitte has a bright 

 yellow t)ar]\ wlu-n cut. The rays of the timber are line and 

 inconspicuous, measuring from -2-7 mnu in height in tan- 

 gential section. The koda (which is an Indian name for the 

 species) is generally not so tall as the churnwood and lignum- 

 vitic, and it is frequently almost leafless in the spring. The 

 rays of its timber appear to the unaided eye as minute specks 

 Avhicli measure -5-1 -5 nnn. in tangential section. 



y'r< cs with Conspicuouslij Fissured Barks. — The follow- 

 ing rain-forest trees have prominently fissured barks 

 comparable to that of ircmbark: — Scrub ironbark {Bridelia 

 exaltata), white cedar {^JeJia Azedarach), and red ash 

 (Alphiionia excrlsa). 



Trees irifli Sraly Barls. — The scaly-barked trees are 

 numerous. Some of the common species are boUy gum 

 (Litsca reticulata), crow's ash {FUndersia australis), 

 yellow-wood {FUndersia Oxlcyana), crow's apple (Owenia 

 venosa), red cedar {CcdreJa toona, var. australis), white 

 beech {Gmelina Leichhardtii) , rosewood (Dysoxylon Fraser- 

 anum), scentless rosewood (Synoum ejlandulosum) , deep 

 yellow-wood {Rhodosphccra rhodanthenia) , and southern 

 penda {Xanthostemon oppositifolius) . 



