The tuart has box-like rough bark through the length of the trunk to small twigs. The bark is fibrous and grey in colour and breaks into smaller flaky pieces. Leaves are stalked with a lanceolate or falcate shape. The leaves are slightly discolorous to concolorous, glossy, light green and thin. The leaf blade is 90 to 160 millimetres (3.5 to 6.3 in) in length and often curved. White flowers appear in mid summer to mid autumn between January to April. Buds that are almost stalkless and appear as clusters in groups of seven. The buds have swollen caps and are shaped like little ice cream cones with a cap that is around 8 to 10 mm (0.31 to 0.39 in) long. The flowers are formed in tight clusters made up of around seven flowers. These later form into fruits with a mushroom shape containing small red-brown seeds. The fruits are narrow and 13 to 25 mm (0.51 to 0.98 in) in length with a broad rim. The tree is moderately salt tolerant and will tolerate salt-laden winds. It is also drought and frost tolerant.
Distribution
The distribution range of the species is a narrow coastal corridor within the Swan Coastal Plain, extending inland 5 to 10 kilometres (3.1 to 6.2 mi), a continuous strip south from Yanchep to Busselton. Outlying patches of the tree are found to the north of Yanchep as far as Geraldton and further inland where rivers intersect the range. The species has become naturalised in other places. It grows in sandy well drained soils, often over limestone, in sunny positions. The trees are part of coastal shrubland ecosystems in areas of deep sand. They also will often be part of limited woodland communities in protected areas along the coast. When it occurs in woodland or open forest it is often associated with peppermint trees (Agonis flexuosa) in the understorey.
USES
As a durable hardwood the timber is sought after for scantlings, structural timber, the construction of railway carriages, and boat building. The colouring and grain pattern of the timber also makes it a popular choice for furniture manufactures. Due to over-logging the tuart is a protected tree with conditions placed on logging. The heartwood is a pale yellow-brown colour with a fine texture and a very interlocked grain. The green wood has a density of 1,250 kilograms per cubic metre (78 lb/cu ft) and an air-dried density of 1,030 kilograms per cubic metre (64 lb/cu ft). The flowers are an excellent source for the production of honey.
Source: Wood Solutions
