Crow's Ash

Also known as Australian Teak, this is a rainforest tree. The species ranges from New South Wales to Queensland in Australia, and it was only that I came across the fruit (immature and mature) that I recognised the tree. The fruit is a woody capsule covered with short blunt prickles, splitting into 5 boat shaped valves. Ripe Apr - Nov. Often used in floral arrangements. White flowers in panicles Aug - Feb. Flowers attract Orchard Swallowtail butterflies, bees, wasps, moths, honeyeaters and fruit and blossom bats. High branches provide nesting and resting sites for birds. The Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus aegeus) lays its eggs on the leaves, upon which the caterpillars feed, and go through stages until they form a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly. This is a valuable rainforest tree, and also much sort-after in the timber industry, hence its demise in this region. In many places, all that remains are small pockets of dry rainforest like Welk Remnant.