Tree ID

[JumpedAngel]

While rambling around the desert last week I came across a tree that I still haven't been able to identify, It took my curiousity as there were about a hundred of those small metalic blue winged butterflies fluttering around its base and rivers of ants going up the trunk as well as picking off any stray butterfly they could grab.

The tree itself was about 7m tall and the flowers 7-8mm in diameter, the specimen itself was spotted just north of Broken Hill and was a solitary speciman, later I found a whole grove of them about a hundred clicks south of Broken Hill but they did not have this frenzy of activity going on around them. There were no apparent seed pods or cases anywhere on the tree or the ground.

So whatchyasay, any ideas?

[roughbarked]

OK.. I think it is what used to be Heterodendrum oleifolium.. and is now known as Alectryon oleifolius.

Rosewood.

It is difficult to actually be there at the right time to see this display.

Seeds are small, pea sized black maybe with a bit of red and disappear into the mulch. Edible.

[JumpedAngel]

Sorry bro, no cigar.

Alectryon oleifolius (Heterodendrum oleifolium) is described as having small cupped flowers with no petals.

USDA lists Alectryon oleifolius as a Vertebrate poison: mammals, this is surprising to me as the resin is a well known aboriginal food.

[roughbarked]

There are no petals in the above image.

The seed is edible, but no record exists of necessary treatments.
ttp://www.trams.net.au/BRGCMA_Draft/APP ... Plants.pdf

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/HerbL ... nndeah.JPG

[JumpedAngel]

Well maybe you do get the cigar afterall

There is something else out there (far more common, probobly whitewood) which fits the verbal description for the rosewood flower a lot better than this thing does, unfortunately a verbal description and a pen sketch of the folliage is all I had.

I had searched various databases for images of Alectryon oleifolius but did not find anything as clear as that rbgsyd image you linked me.

[roughbarked]

Whitewood is more easily recognised as opposite leaves and winged seeds in opposite pairs.

It is the leaves of Rosewood that may at times be somewhat toxic. Depending upon conditions and availability of other fodder.

The Aril, which is the red part on the black seed can be eaten raw.

Rosewood seeds themselves are ground into flour and added to the flour ground from Mitchell grass and Kangaroo grass etc to make damper.

[darcy]

interesting flowers eh?