Plant List For Undara Self-Guided Walks

This is only a partial list of the plant species to be found around Undara, and relates mainly to the trees that can be found in the area. Copies are available at Undara and it forms part of the Bushwalking Track Notes that are a guide to the walking tracks at Undara, including a route map. The walks are easily managed by most guests, and include small climbs to lookouts and bluffs on graded tracks.

1. COOKTOWN IRONWOOD (Erythrophleum chlorostachys): Very hard timber used as fence posts and stockyard posts. Very poisonous to animals. Gum used to bond tool handles.

2. NATIVE KAPOK (Cochlospermum gillivraei): Deciduous tree - bright yellow flowers in spring. Large round brown fruit that splits open to release seed embedded in fine, silky hairs.

3. QUININE BUSH (Petalostigma pubescens): Very dark bark - small round yellow fruit - very bitter. Two species here, one has very much smaller leaves than the other.

4. VARIGATED BARK BLOODWOOD (Eucalyptus erythroploia): Reddish brown flaky bark - rich red sap like blood, used as antiseptic.

5. WATTLE (Acacia julifera): ‘Leaves’ have no central vein as are not leaves but flattened stems.

6. GEEBUNG - Milky Plum (Persoonia falcata): Shrub with dark, flaky bark - long thin leathery leaves with single central vein.

7. NATIVE CHERRY (Exocarpus latifolius) Dark green leafed shrub - parasite on rots of other plants, small red fruit like ice-cream in a cone - said to be used as a contraceptive by Aborigines.

8. BATWING CORAL TREE (Erythrina vespertilio): Leaves shaped like a bat in flight. Thick bark used by Aborigines to make collimans; settlers made brake pads for wagons and fishing floats. Bright coral flowers in spring. Deciduous.

9. KURRAJONG (Brachychiton spp): Maple shaped leaf - small red flowers - brown, boat shaped seed pods containing many seeds.

10. VITAMIN C TREE - Bush Almond (Terminalia spp): Leaves grouped at the end of branchlets - winged fruit rich in Vitamin C.

11. NARROW LEAFED IRONBARK (Eucalyptus crebra): Very hard, deeply furrowed bark. Timber very strong and durable.

12. SOAP BUSH (Alphitonia excelsa): Leaves green one side, silver the other. Can use as soap; also as a fish poison.

13. MANGO BARK - Brown Cudgerie (Canarium australianum): Bark smells like mango. Very pale grey bark.

14. LEICHARDT’S BREAD FRUIT (Gardenia spp): Small twisted tree with very dark bark - thick leaves - oval fruit. Leichardt said they tasted like German rye bread.

15. NORTHERN WOOLLYBUTT (Eucalyptus miniata): Tall slender tree - soft, scaly pale bark on lower trunk with smooth whitish upper trunk. Very large gumnuts and bright orange flowers.

16. BUSHMANS CLOTHES PEG (Grevillea glauca): White flowers and large, hard nuts. Can be used as pegs, paper clips and many decorative uses.

17. FERN LEAFED GREVILLEA (Grevillea pteridofolia): Fine, long leaf - orange flowers attracting many birds.

18. TEA TREE (Melaleuca nervosa): Short leaf - cream flowers, full of nectar - papery bark.

19. TEA TREE (Melaleuca viridiflora): Pendulous branches - cream flowers - papery bark. Captain Cook made a tea for his crew from these leaves in an attempt to curb scurvy.

20. SWAMP BLOODWOOD (Eucalyptus polycarpa): Larger and longer gumnuts than the Varigated Bark Bloodwood (4).

21. RIVER RED GUM (Eucalyptus camaldulensis): Long bluish leaves - greyish white smooth bark - leaves have very strong eucalyptus smell when crushed.

22. NONDA PLUM / TREE POTATO (Parinari nonda): Large shady tree - pendulous branches - fruit like small potato. Aborigines buried fruit for old people to eat later when soft. Emus love the fruit.

23. NORTHERN KURRAJONG (Brachychiton diversifolius): Spear shaped leaves - seed pod like boat. Similar pod different leaves to Little Kurrajong (9).

24. PANDANUS (Pandanus spiralis): Thick leaves edged with spines - grow spirally up trunk. Leaves torn up into strips and woven.

25. DEAD DOG TREE (Canis mortis): Has no bark - Ha Ha Ha Ha

26. BOOT LACE OAK (Hakea lorea): Long thin leaves like boot laces - hard seed cases.

27. WATTLE GREVILLEA (Grevillea mimosoides): Looks like a Wattle. Seed pods coated in caustic liquid.

28. SILVER OAK (Grevillea parallela): Long thin leaves with several parallel veins - birds love these flowers.

29. BROAD LEAF CARBEEN (Eucalyptus confertiflora): Dark grey bark on base - smooth whitish trunk above, thick leaves.

30. BLACK TEA TREE (Melaleuca bracteata): Very dark bark - grows in swamp areas. Leaves like she-oak.

31. COCKY APPLE (Planchonia careya): Large, curly green leaves. Fruit looks like an apple. Lovely large whitish flower like a hula skirt - opens at dusk.

32. CORKY ACACIA (Acacia bidwilli): Fine, ferny leaf, spines, round cream fluffy flowers. Light corky bark.

33. ACACIA UMBRELLATA (no common name): Low spreading shrub. Short yellow flower spikes.

34. CYPRESS PINE (callitris spp): Tall, straight tree - termite resistant. Used for building and telegraph poles. Used by Aborigines for tools and as medicine.

We also have species lists for snakes, frogs, butterflies, birds and lizards