Dysoxylum rufum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dysoxylum rufum |
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Dysoxylum
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rufum
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Dysoxylum rufum is a type of tree that grows in the rainforests of eastern Australia. It belongs to the plant family called Meliaceae. You can find this tree growing in many different kinds of soil and rainforest areas. It grows from Bulahdelah in New South Wales all the way up to the McIlwraith Range in far north-eastern Australia. The second part of its scientific name, rufum, means "rusty red." This is because the leaves, fruits, and flowers of this tree have rusty red hairs.
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What is Dysoxylum rufum Called?
This tree has many different common names. People often call it the Australian mahogany or rusty mahogany. Other names include bastard pencil cedar, false rosewood, hairy rosewood, red bean, red heart, and rusty bean.
About the Tree
The Dysoxylum rufum is usually a small to medium-sized tree. However, it can grow very tall, sometimes reaching up to 40 metres (about 130 feet) high. Its trunk can be as wide as 90 centimetres (about 3 feet) across. You can see these large trees in places like Murray Scrub.
Leaves of the Hairy Rosewood
The leaves of this tree are made up of many smaller leaflets. These leaflets grow almost opposite each other on the stem. They do not have jagged edges. The base of each leaflet is a bit uneven.
Each leaflet is usually between 5 to 17 centimetres (2 to 7 inches) long. They are shaped like a spear, with a fine point at the tip. What's interesting is that the top side of the leaflets is a dull green. But the underside is a brighter green and feels hairy. The small stalks that hold the leaflets are only 2 to 3 millimetres long. However, the stalk for the very last leaflet on the branch can be much longer, up to 25 millimetres. A whole leaf can have about 19 leaflets and its main stalk is 4 to 10 centimetres long.
Flowers and Fruit (Reproduction)
The Dysoxylum rufum tree produces white flowers that smell nice at first. These flowers grow in clusters called panicles. They appear from December to February. As the flowers get older, their scent becomes less pleasant. The base of the flower, called the calyx, is also covered in hairs.
The fruit of this tree is a round, yellowish capsule. It is about 2 centimetres (less than an inch) wide. The capsule usually splits into five parts when it's ripe. It is also covered in hairs that can make your skin itchy. Inside the capsule, there are cream-coloured seeds. These seeds are not perfectly round and are about 5 millimetres (0.2 inches) across.
The fruit ripens between April and December. If you plant fresh seeds, they usually sprout quickly and reliably. It can take as little as three weeks for them to start growing. Most seeds will have germinated well within eight weeks.
Timber (Wood)
The wood of the Dysoxylum rufum tree smells a bit like onions. The outer part of the wood is mostly white. But the inner part, called the heartwood, is red. This red heartwood looks similar to the wood of a related tree called Red Bean. Unfortunately, the timber from this tree can be damaged by a type of beetle called the lyctus borer.
Images for kids
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The Hairy Rosewood is a large tree in the tall rainforest at Murray Scrub, New South Wales
