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Description
A large hardwood of very common
occurrence growing in an area ranging from the New South
Wales/Victorian border to the Maryborough district in
Queensland.
It is quite a tall tree up to 50 metres in
height. The tree sheds elliptical strips of bark as it weathers and
the resultant mottled or spotted appearance lends itself to its
common name.
Appearance The heartwood
colour range is quite broad from very pale browns through to very
dark browns. Some samples may have a slightly orange tint in
the lighter variations. The sapwood is distinctly paler. The grain
is often interlocked and generally features some ‘fiddleback’
figure. This wavy type grain may be quite
distinctive.
Properties This species is
sometimes known as Spotted Iron Gum, due to the nature of the
timber, which is very dense with excellent mechanical properties.
The raw timber has a slightly greasy feel, a property which is well
regarded and utilised in tool handles (a common use for this
species). The heartwood is durable (Class 2) and the sapwood is
susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Definition
of properties
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