Australian Timber Tree Rediscovered
10/25/99
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Title: AUSTRALIAN Timber Tree Rediscovered
Source: Environment News Service, http://www.ens.lycoc.com/
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 25, 1999
ROCKHAMPTON, Queensland, Australia, October 25, 1999 (ENS) - A little
known native tree may soon bolster Australia's agricultural and wood
industries.
Known to researchers as the Belmont siris, the tree was rediscovered
by Dr. Brian Lowry of the government's research arm the Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). Although
rare elsewhere, it is common on Belmont, a grazing property near
Rockhampton used for CSIRO's cattle breeding research.
"A century ago, this tree was well-known for cabinet-making timber,"
Lowry said. "It must have been a lot more common then. Now it is all
but forgotten, and I could find no mention of it anywhere in
authoritative reference works."
Lowry believes the tree, which does not have a common name, has
potential for both boosting animal production and yielding quality
cabinet wood. "It is a dual-purpose tree as the leaves are highly
palatable and the pods can be eaten. And like the siris (Albizia
lebbeck), it has a remarkable ability to promote grass growth below
the canopy," Lowry said.
Found only in Australia, the Belmont siris is scarce, but surviving.
Its advantage, said Lowry, is that it is already present out in the
native rangelands. The tree can be seen over a wide area of tropical
northern Australia from the Kimberleys to near Rockhampton.
"This shows that not only can it grow in these areas, but that some
landholders already have it," Lowry said. "It is likely that few
people realize what a valuable resource it could be."
Belmont siris is an inconspicuous tree found scattered in eucalypt
woodland. It has an open crown and glaucous foliage much like
eucalyptus. The fallen pods and leaves are palatable to sheep and
have almost no tannin content, Lowry said.
Lowry's research is supported by the joint venture agroforestry
program of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.