Backhousia sciadophora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Backhousia sciadophora |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Shatterwood at Barrington Tops, New South Wales, Australia. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Backhousia
|
| Species: |
sciadophora
|
Backhousia sciadophora is a special tree found in Australia. It grows in the eastern parts of the country, from places like Dungog in New South Wales up to Kilcoy in south-east Queensland. People call this tree by many names, including Shatterwood, Ironwood, Boomerang Tree, and Curracabark. You can usually find Shatterwood trees in drier parts of rainforests, especially in deep valleys (gorges) and on steep hillsides. They don't usually grow in areas with volcanic soil.
What is Shatterwood?
Shatterwood is a small to medium-sized tree. It can sometimes grow as tall as 30 metres, which is about the height of a 10-story building! Its trunk can be as wide as 80 centimetres. The top part of the tree, called the crown, looks dark and pretty.
The trunk of the Backhousia sciadophora tree is round. It often has wide, flat parts at its base, like extra supports. The tree gets its name "Shatterwood" because its wood breaks easily.
The bark of the tree is grey or light brown. It feels rough and has short fibres. It also has small cracks that run up and down. The bark looks like it's made of many thin, paper-like layers that peel off in small pieces.
Leaves, Flowers, and Fruit
The leaves of the Shatterwood tree grow in pairs, one opposite the other. They are simple, meaning they are not divided into smaller leaflets. They are wide and oval-shaped, usually 5 to 10 centimetres long. The tips of the leaves can be round, pointed, or even have a small notch.
If you hold a leaf up to the light, you'll see many tiny oil dots. The leaf stems are very short. The veins in the leaves form loops near the edge. There's a main vein in the middle that is slightly raised on the top side of the leaf but sinks in on the bottom.
The flowers of the Shatterwood tree are white, small, and grow in large numbers. They bloom from June to July. After the flowers, the tree produces fruit between May and August. The fruit is a brown, bell-shaped capsule, about 5 millimetres wide. It has five parts from the flower (called calyx lobes) that stay on the fruit.
Inside each fruit, there are five to eight seeds. These seeds are oval-shaped, about 1 millimetre long, and have a golden-brown colour.
Images for kids
-
Shatterwood growing next to Thunderbolts Way, Australia
See also
In Spanish: Backhousia sciadophora para niños
