Thread: Very Strong Leaf Venation - Ident Assistance Please

I'll have a shot, Native Tamarind Diploglottis cunninghamia. The only thing I'm going on is the size of the leaves and the colour of the bark. If it is it should flower Sept to Nov and develop small hairy edible fruit by December. I may of course be very wrong and it is some exotic fruit tree.

Could be a Diploglottis.

Have a poke around here.
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants

Could also be Ylang Ylang Cananga odorata, if it is, you will know when it flowers.

Cliff, mate, thanks for the link. That is absolutely epic.

I will try to keep this updated should it fall by the way side, unfortunately the property is likely to go on the market soon and I cannot be certain I'll have access during flowering/fruiting.

Just in case you haven't seen it, save this link as well.

Species List Botanical: Australian Native Tree & Shrubs Identification Images & Descriptions

Leichardt tree Nauclea orientalis, aka Yellow Cheesewood would be a good starter.

Thanks John.

It's on the possibility list, roll on flowering season.

We have a Leichardt in our yard, the leaves don't look the quiet like your photo.

Well, I've got an update.

I was handed a seed pod from this tree and have subsequently found out that it's almost 100% certainly a Cocoa Tree (Theobroma cacao).

I have been requested to remove the tree this week. This leads to the next question, what's the wood like?

Originally Posted by Feckit

Well, I've got an update.

I was handed a seed pod from this tree and have subsequently found out that it's almost 100% certainly a Cocoa Tree (Theobroma cacao).

I have been requested to remove the tree this week. This leads to the next question, what's the wood like?

Quote: The wood is light, soft and of low durability. Of little value, it is sometimes used for fuel or to make charcoal...

Maybe no interest to turners or furniture makers but as a curiosity wood collectors would be interested

as a curiosity wood collectors would be interested

I'll get some pics by weeks end I suspect, so I'll keep you informed Euge.

So the tree was cut down late last week and here are a few pics.

Firstly a nut that I was given that came from the tree.

Nut.jpg

After the logs had been cut and were being unloaded from my ute I noticed something I've never seen before in a tree.....water absolutely pissing out the end of it.

Water.jpg

It appeared that the water was coming from the outer fibrous section of the tree. Below is an annotated cross section;

End.jpg

Annular rings are present. The darker discolouration wasn't there when the tree was dropped.

There is no doubt that the timber is going to be very light weight. I'm looking forward to, hopefully, recovering a reasonable amount of timber from it and even more hopeful that it doesn't split too bad when drying. I think I'll probably keep it in logs for a while and see how it goes, they're currently standing on their ends.

Feckit, while a few woods (Jacaranda is a good example) can be dried in the round wthout serious deterioration, it's always safer to at least halve a log. It looks like there are a couple of fine radial cracks already in the pic. A soft, high-moisture wood like that is going to shrink something fearsome as it dries. Being very soft, the heartwood will compress a fair bit and relieve some of the stress, but it may not be enough. You are going to have to saw it before you use it, anyway, so better to play safe, imo. When I get an unexpected 'find' & I'm pressed for time, I just stand short 'logs' on end & freehand them down the middle with the chainsaw - it's slow going if I'm miles from home & don't have a ripping chain, but it's better to get 'em sliced asap (& get those ends painted as soon as you get them home, too!). It also helps my ageing back to lift them into the ute.....

Cheers,

Ian

The main reason I will leave them as logs, for the moment at least, is because of the strange pith. I would describe the pith as being gelatinous at the time. Things have changed somewhat in the last week.

A Bit Blurry.jpg Hole Close Up.jpg

The pith has collapsed leaving a void in the middle of the log. There are a couple of small radial cracks that have formed but are nowhere near large enough to be concerned about at the moment, but they will be monitored. So my guess from here on is that, maybe, with the pith collapsing and leaving a void this will provide space into which the heartwood can shrink, maybe.

If I get a chance this week I'll try and cut a bit to get a rough wet density.

Wet density calculates at 1.075. I suspect that will start decreasing rapidly.

The piece I used was taken about midway along a thinner limb. It measured 0.106m x 0.106m x 0.429m and 5.175kg. The pith was still intact.

Block.jpg