Geijera salicifolia Schott

Schott, H.W. (1834) Fragmenta Botanica, Rutaceae : 7 (1834). Type: Broad Sound near Upper Head, 15 Sept. 1802, R.Brown; iso: CANB.

Flintwood; Brush Wilga; Scrub Wilga; Satinheart, Green; Green Satinheart; Narrow Leaved Brush Wilga; Narrow-leaved Scrub Wilga; Wilga; Axegapper; Glasswood; Greenheart

Blaze darkening on exposure to a very dark brown or olive brown. Blaze layering, if visible, very fine.

Young leaves terminating twigs curled lengthways into a cylinder or narrow cone resembling the sheathing stipule on a fig (Ficus spp.). Leaf blades about 3-19 x 1-7.5 cm. Midrib raised on the upper surface but petiole grooved on the upper surface. Oil dots very numerous. Leaves somewhat aromatic when crushed.

Each petal about 2-2.5 mm long, containing about 12-20 comparatively large oil glands. Disk yellow or yellow-green, comparatively large and enclosing at least the lower half of the ovary. Anther filaments attached outside the disk.

Individual fruiting carpels about 5-7 mm diam. Surface of the fruit glandular-rugose because of large oil glands below the epidermis. Seeds about 5-6 x 4 mm, sarcotesta shiny black, completely enclosing the seed. Testa comparatively thick and hard, surface rugose.

Cotyledons +/- elliptic to obovate, about 10 x 5 mm, with a few indistinct, oil dots just visible with a lens, clear in fresh material, reddish in dry material. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic, apex acute; oil dots numerous, clear in fresh material, reddish in dry material. Midrib raised on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Seed germination time 62 to 182 days.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as coastal central New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1000 m. Grows in monsoon forest, dry rain forest and well developed rain forest but is more frequently encountered at the drier end of the continuum. Also occurs in New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Food plant for the larval stages of the Macleay's Swallowtail and Orchard Butterflies. Common & Waterhouse (1981).

Commonly cultivated in coastal Queensland and New South Wales this species becomes a small tree with a dense crown. Flowers are white to cream and are followed by red fruits.

Before the development of fibregalss and carbon fibre, the timber of this species was used in the manufacture of fishing rods. Swain (1928).

Geijera salicifolia Schott var. salicifolia, Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 26: 80 (1901). Geijera salicifolia var. typica Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 847(1928). Geijera salicifolia var. latifolia (Lindl.) Domin, Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 847(1928), Type: Balmy Ck, Mantuan Downs, T.L. Mitchell 170; iso: NSW. Geijera latifolia Lindl., Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia : 236(1848).