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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.
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