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12th May 2019, 12:14 AM #1GOLD MEMBER
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Inland or Western Rosewood (Alectryon oleifolius)
Inland or Western Rosewood (Alectryon oleifolius)
This species is also called Bullock Bush, Cattle bush or Boonaree. An aboriginal friend called in Boonry. Posting some info and pics for members interested. (Unsure if I have posted pics of this wood, so posting them again as it was mentioned on a pen turning post)
My experiences with it follow. The species is exceedingly hard and dense (up there with the desert acacias to which it is totally unrelated. It has some tropical relatives (as do the inland Flindersia genus.) I suspect this dryland species have adapted to the drying conditions on the continent over millenia. The wood is prone to checking but finishes beautifully when turned. The bright pinks reds dull out on oxidation to brownish reds in one wood (subspecies) but in the other are very dark red-black, almost ebony-like. The wood has not odour I can discern. The pretty heartwood I've found is sometimes associated with a grey fungal growth in pockets which I photographed for a paper last year and show here for anyone's interest.
There are at least 2 subspecies in Eastern Australian (VIC, NSW and Qld) which I show the woods of here, and another in WA. I add a few captions below each.
Euge
Rwd 1.jpg
Above: The Fungus associated with coloured & streaked heartwood formation
Rwd 2.jpg
Wood of 2 subspecies look quite different, Ends of blacks were waxed to slow drying and cracking. The "sapwood" (not true sapwood) of both is pink, very hard and dense with hardly any "grain" or texture.
Rwd 3.jpg
Above waxed end of one of the blocks showing an almost black heart
RWD 4.jpg
End of the other subspecies showing another kind of heartwood whiich is much more colourful in tones of red.
RWD 5.jpg
Above and below: cut ends of blocks showing the flare of colour. Again the fungus is pretty obvious in fissures near the centre.
RWD 6.jpg
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12th May 2019, 01:05 AM #2Taking a break
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I'm confused...I always thought this stuff was Inland Rosewood https://www.ttit.id.au/treepages/rosewood.htm
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12th May 2019, 08:06 AM #3
Me too.
The stuff I have that’s labelled Inland Rosewood is almost certainly this stuff. Vern mentions the pleasant aroma, which I referred to in the other thread.
Euge, I’m curious about that stuff you have above. Is the wood predominantly white, and the colour caused by fungus or insect damage ? I seem to recall Australian Ebony having that same trait, is it a related species ?Brad.
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12th May 2019, 09:11 AM #4GOLD MEMBER
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The board I bought the other day labeled inland rosewood is clearly the stuff that Elan has linked to. If they are really still using it for fence posts then I paid far too much for it.
One of the blocks in the original post shows a dark center. That might be the same species perhaps.
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12th May 2019, 11:36 AM #5GOLD MEMBER
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Hi guys,
You may recall a discussion on the wood in the pen you turned Ironwood called "Morgan's Gum"?
"……...When I cut some the other day it smells like Inland Rosewood, it doesn't look like it though.
I just call it Morgan Gum, named after my mate who gave it to me." (Ironwood)
My response / Comment on the wood was:
Rose (floral) smelling wood is a characteristic of drier region Acacias. I have not noticed any odour in "Inland Rosewood" - do you mean Alectryon spp? Or, do you mean Acacia rhodoxylon, a species with a very dark wood, dark short scaly bark, and where the species name means "rose-smelling wood”?
Refer to: (May....be prepared)
I suggest that the same common names are applied to multiple unrelated species. This is the cause of much confusion as in this and the above case. Looking at an IWCS publication on names I see the common names given to Acacia rhodoxylon include rosewood, mountain brigalow and brown spearwood or spear wattle, and ringy wattle. I have heard it called Ringy Rosewood. The official Qld Trade Name is SPEAR WATTLE . I will post a pic I have of it later. It has a very thing sapwood and very dark (almost black heartwood, with strong floral odor). Its wood is very hard and dense. The long, straight and fluted stem and high durabilty make it ideal for posts and rails. Its is easily recognised by its unusual bark in short dark and easily rubbed off.
The blocks shown are Alectryon oleifolius (formerly Heterodendron oleifolium) which goes under a number of common names, apart from common names mentioned, its official trade name is Inland Rosewood.
Euge
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12th May 2019, 12:04 PM #6GOLD MEMBER
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My own view is that this Alectryon (even though its a dryland species) is stressed by a fungus that invades it from the inside and grows in holes and hollows as shown. This likely is a PHYTOALLEXIN response by the plant where it responds, producing coloured chemicals (those you can see), perhaps as a defensive / reactive response. Insects can allow the entry of fungus and other pathogens into the tree and its woods also, or broken branches or stems. Many interesting colours and effects (eg tiger stripes in Nothfagus) can result.
Yes, I have seen this response in Australian Ebony (Diospyros), but this is not a related species. (A few trees has been conferred "Ebony" status on the basis of their dark or almost black heartwood (eg some of the Bauhinia). The wood of most Aust Diopsyros species is often white or pale... some respond to fungal infection more than others producing their characteristic black heartwood. But Alectryon wood is a creamy pink until its heartwood is formed as shown in pics.
Many genera show this fungi-induced response with coloured heartwoods. Remember heartwood is dead and where waste metabolic products end up and are stored. Some species produce other colours other odours (some valuable) and all caused by a change in the plants biochemistry. I have recently written about this in Word of Wood.
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12th May 2019, 12:38 PM #7Taking a break
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This stuff, right?
IMAG2464.jpg
We had a guy come in and drop off a sample a few years ago (Greg's Rosewood if I remember right). Beautiful timber, seems a shame to use it for fences
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12th May 2019, 01:30 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
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Yes, it looks like it alright. Compare it to what I described above.
No need for me to show wood or stem .. the links and pic above show it well.
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15th May 2019, 12:59 PM #9
Its a dead give away with bark on - almost dry tea leaves like scaly bark. A wonderful timber to turn, can be difficult and dulls tools fast, but well worth the effort. A mate on these forums reckons you can tell that it is "Inland Rosewood" because all the termites in its vicinity have false teeth.
Last edited by Mobyturns; 16th May 2019 at 09:33 AM. Reason: typos
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17th May 2019, 11:22 PM #10
Are the old common name issues.
Personally I've always called Acacia rhodoxylon as Inland Rosewood or Brown Spearwood, and the Alectryon oleiofolius as Western Rosewood or Boonaree.
As for your sample photos of the Boonaree, I've also found it varies a lot in colour, but wasn't aware of subspecies (mind you I haven't been looking). Like your photos show it was more about the extent of spalting rather than different species.
I've found a lot of Acacias do vary greatly and talking to Charlie (from Busselton WA) there are many being sub-divided up (e.g. Minirichie, Mulga to name a few) due to the variations.Neil____________________________________________Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new
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